The recently published report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) raises urgent concerns about rising nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions while also outlining substantial opportunities for reducing them.
As the third most significant greenhouse gas, N₂O has a global warming potential of 273 times that of carbon dioxide and is the world’s most impactful ozone-depleting substance. Yet, despite its critical role in climate and environmental health, it has received less attention than CO₂ and methane. Over the past decade, the most pessimistic scenarios predicted by the IPCC regarding atmospheric N₂O concentrations have become reality.
The primary sources of N₂O emissions are food and agriculture, alongside industrial processes like nitric acid production. Agriculture alone accounts for approximately 70% of total N₂O emissions. Fortunately, proven methods exist to reduce emissions by up to 40% in this sector, and industrial emissions can be abated by as much as 90% at relatively low costs.
Explore the full range of technical and policy solutions in the report: Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment.
You can also watch the presentation, “Slashing N2O Emissions: From Science to Action- Launch of Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment | Climate & Clean Air Coalition“, at COP29.
