UN report warns nitrous oxide emissions impact public health

Baku (The Uttam Hindu): Nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, is rapidly accelerating climate change and damaging the ozone layer, jeopardizing the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming target and posing a serious threat to public health, a new United Nations Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment said on Tuesday.

Launched at the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) where delegates from nearly 200 countries have convened in Azerbaijan's capital Baku, the Assessment, published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), signals that emissions are rising faster than expected, and that immediate action is required to curb the environmental and health impacts of this super pollutant.

Nitrous oxide is approximately 270 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of warming the planet, and is currently responsible for approximately 10 per cent of net global warming since the Industrial Revolution. Primarily emitted from agricultural practices such as the use of synthetic fertilisers and manure, nitrous oxide is the third most significant greenhouse gas and the top ozone-depleting substance still being released into the atmosphere.

The Assessment shows that proactively tackling nitrous oxide would also support the continued recovery of the ozone layer, helping to avoid a future where much of the global population is exposed to harmful UV levels. The report warns that without urgent action on rising nitrous oxide emissions, there is no viable pathway to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees and provides tangible tools to reduce emissions by more than 40 per cent from current levels. Taking ambitious action to reduce nitrous oxide emissions could help prevent up to 20 million premature deaths globally by 2050 due to poor air quality and avoid the equivalent of up to 235 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by 2100.

The findings from the Assessment are clear: urgent action on nitrous oxide is critical to achieving climate goals, and without a serious reduction in emissions, there is no viable path to limiting warming to 1.5 degrees in the context of sustainable development as outlined in the Paris Agreement. Abating nitrous oxide emissions could avoid up to 235 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions by 2100 -- the equivalent of six years' worth of current global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels.

This Assessment identifies practical, cross-sectoral abatement strategies that could cut nitrous oxide emissions by more than 40 per cent from current levels. Through transforming food production systems and rethinking societal approaches to nitrogen management, even deeper reductions could be achieved, offering a critical opportunity to move the world closer to its climate, environmental, and health goals.