Ireland 'still addicted to fossil fuels', says UCC expert

'By far the main driver for the Irish greenhouse gas emission increase between the first quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023 is the Irish air transport industry,' Eurostat said. Picture: Larry Cummins

Greenhouse gas emission calculations showing Ireland as a major outlier compared to other EU nations may be skewed but show "we are still addicted to fossil fuels", according to scientists.

Figures from the European Commission's data analysis wing Eurostat show while emissions in the EU fell just under 3% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, Ireland's rose more than 9%.