Dept denies 'accounting trick' reduced country's energy-related emissions

According to figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), 18% of metered electricity in 2022 was used by data centres, the same percentage as urban homes. File picture: Larry Cummins

The Department of Energy has rejected the idea that Ireland is cutting energy-related emissions via an "accounting trick".

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland's 2023 energy report, published before Christmas, showed that 2022 had the lowest energy-related emissions of any year in the last quarter century, except for 2020 during covid lockdowns. Energy-related emissions were down 1.7% on the previous year, largely due to reduced energy demand in the residential sector, the report says.