Why sustainable nitrogen management matters

Nitrogen plays a vital role in agriculture and food production, but poor nitrogen management contributes to climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, with consequences for soil and human health and food security.

Nitrogen and the global climate agenda

Sustainable nitrogen management is therefore becoming increasingly important within the global climate agenda. The Paris Agreement and wider United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) provide important opportunities to address nitrogen-related emissions and improve nitrogen management. International commitments already aim to halve nitrogen waste or significantly reduce excess nutrient losses by 2030. However, nitrogen is often addressed indirectly and inconsistently across these initiatives, and progress towards existing targets remains inadequate.

About the report

This policy report examines the priorities and practical challenges involved in turning international commitments on nitrogen into action. It draws on two workshops and confidential discussions with policymakers and technical experts involved in UNFCCC processes, incorporating perspectives from more than 40 countries.

The report finds that the priority should be implementing existing commitments rather than creating new ones. This requires greater attention to the institutional, financial, political, and social factors that can help or hinder effective nitrogen management at national level, while recognising that solutions will need to reflect different national circumstances.

Five priorities for sustainable nitrogen management

The report identifies five interconnected challenges and priorities:

Institutional fragmentation
Data, monitoring, measurement, reporting, and verification
Subsidy reform and its political and distributional impacts
Financing constraints
Socioeconomic vulnerability, stakeholder engagement and potential resistance from farmers.

Immediate action is needed to accelerate delivery of existing nitrogen commitments through 2030. With progress currently falling short, the report also considers how international cooperation, knowledge sharing, and sustained political attention can support sustainable nitrogen management beyond 2030.

National Implementation of Sustainable Nitrogen Management