Increased Emissions of N2O

• 17 Oct 2020

Why in News

According to a recent research paper, human emissions of nitrous oxide (N₂O) have increased by 30% between 1980 and 2016.

• The research was conducted through an international collaboration between the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI) and the Global Carbon Project of Future Earth, a partner of the World Climate Research Programme.

Key Points

• Nitrous Oxide (N₂O):
  
  • It is a greenhouse gas (GHG) 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO₂).
  • It has the third-highest concentration, after CO₂ and methane (CH₄), in Earth’s atmosphere among GHGs responsible for global warming.
  • N₂O is also the only remaining threat to the ozone (O₃) layer, for it accumulates in the atmosphere over a long period of time, just like CO₂.
  • It can live in the atmosphere for up to 125 years.
  • Its global concentration levels have increased from 270 parts per billion (ppb) in 1750 to 331 ppb in 2018, a jump of 20%.
    
    • The growth has been the quickest in the past five decades because of human emissions.
• Research and the Study:
  
  • This is the most comprehensive study of global N₂O emissions ever published, as it combines both natural and anthropogenic (man-made) sources.
  • The study found that 43% of the total emissions came from human sources and most N₂O emissions came from emerging countries like India, China and Brazil.
  • Increase in its emissions means that the climatic burden on the atmosphere is increasing from non-carbon sources as well, while the major focus of global climate change negotiations is currently centred on carbon, its emissions and mitigation.
  • It also highlighted the dichotomy of the climate crisis and global food security.
    
    • A major proportion of the N₂O emissions in the last four decades came from the agricultural sector, mainly because of the use of nitrogen-based fertilisers.
    • The growing demand for food and feed for animals will further increase its global emissions, leading to a direct conflict between the way countries are feeding people and stabilising the climate.
• Suggestions:
  
  • There are well-established practices and technologies like crop and manure management, the use of bio-fertilisers, to mitigate N₂O emissions which need to be utilised to their full extent.
  • Revised industrial and agricultural policies at the global level will reduce such emissions considerably.
  • Reducing GHGs emissions will also have the co-benefits of reduced air and water pollution.
  • There is a need to bring the non-carbon sources under the major global climate change negotiations.
  • It is possible to slow down N₂O emissions if countries implement the United Nations Global Campaign on Sustainable Nitrogen Management, 2019 held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
    
    • The focus of the event was to finalise the Colombo Declaration, a follow up on the UNEA 4 Resolution on Sustainable Nitrogen Management which aims to further the dialogue on Nitrogen management.

Source: DTE