Ireland has 7th largest carbon footprint

IRELAND has a long way to go before it can match its traditional green image, with an international survey published yesterday, revealing that we have the seventh-largest carbon footprint in Europe.

The report by Friends of the Earth and the New Economics Foundation ranks 30 European countries on the size of their carbon footprints — measuring consumption of natural resources, which can be offset by reductions in the amount of carbon emissions.

According to the study — the European Happy Index — a sustainable carbon footprint is one hectare per person. However, Ireland’s population uses more than three times this amount of land for our dietary and other consumer needs, at 3.12 hectares.