Carbon budgets:

A carbon budget is the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions (measured in tonnes of CO2 equivalent) that a country is allowed to release within a set period.

Global and national targets are calculated to be equitable while still keeping average global temperature increases within 2℃. This calculation is based on the Paris Agreement’s goal to keep global temperature increases at less than 2℃ above pre-industrial levels and to aim for a 1.5C increase limit..

Sectoral targets

Sectoral emissions are greenhouse gas emissions linked to specific sectors of the economy (agriculture, energy, industry, buildings, and transportation). These sectors are required to abide by national targets.

For example, Ireland’s Public Sector Climate Action Mandate has a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030. Ireland’s sectoral emissions ceilings (or the maximum amount of allowed greenhouse gas emissions per sector) for 2021-2025 were:

These emissions are measured in the standard unit for greenhouse gases, which is megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (abbreviated as MtCOeq).