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UNEP: Nitrogen costs global economy $340 bn to $3.4 tril annually over negative impact on SDGs
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) said nitrogen costs the global economy between $340 billion and $3.4 trillion annually when taking into account its impact on human health and ecosystems.
Most of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, humanity’s blueprint for a better future, are linked with sustainable nitrogen management. Experts say that using the element more efficiently in food production is key to reducing the surplus nitrogen released into the environment, according to UNEP’s 2018-2019 Frontiers Report.
“Nitrogen is a primary nutrient essential for the survival of all living organisms on Earth,” said Leticia Carvalho, the Principal Coordinator of the Marine and Freshwater Branch at UNEP. “But the world needs to wake up to the issues of nitrogen waste and the opportunities to take joint action for its sustainable use.”
When nitrogen in its active form, such as in fertilizer, is exposed to soil, microbial reactions take place that release nitrous oxide. This gas is 300 times more potent at warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. It also remains active in the atmosphere for more than 100 years. Algal blooms in lakes and waterways, often caused by fertilizer run-off, also emit greenhouse gases.
Another issue is agricultural ammonia emissions. This is a gaseous form of nitrogen, which is emitted into the atmosphere from the housing, storage and spreading of animal manure and the spreading of synthetic fertilizer. While ammonia is not a greenhouse gas, when it’s released into the air, it acts as a base for emissions of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas.
Water containing elevated levels of nitrate – a form of nitrogen resulting from animal waste, plant decomposition and fertilizer run-off – raises the risk of infants developing methemoglobinemia, commonly referred to as “blue baby syndrome”, which can be fatal. High levels of nitrate in drinking water can also increase the risk of cancer in adults.
Ammonia emissions, as well as contributing to climate change, are an important driver for fine particulate matter pollution, reducing air quality and increasing adverse effects on human health.
Nitrogen also affects water underwater as the availability of nitrogen compounds exceeds consumption by plants, excess nitrogen gets into the environment, often filtering into aquatic ecosystems. Once there, it can cause a rapid increase of toxic algae, known as algal blooms, which deplete oxygen in water and can create coastal dead zones affecting underwater life.
Nitrogen pollution is the most influential global driver of human-made biodiversity decline after habitat destruction and the emission of greenhouse gases. A landmark global agreement to safeguard biodiversity, finalized in December 2022, includes targets to reduce pollution from all sources so that by 2030, pollutants are not harmful to life and ecosystems.
The UNEP is working with scientists and other stakeholders, with the support of the Global Environment Facility, to lower the impact of nitrogen on the planet.
Progress is being made. Last year, at the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, governments adopted a resolution on sustainable nitrogen management. While the first UNEA resolution on Sustainable Nitrogen Management adopted at UNEA4 in March 2019, set the stage for urgent work on nitrogen, this second resolution is important because it includes both an ambition to “significantly reduce nitrogen waste globally” as well as a timeline “by 2030 and beyond”.
To fight the pervasive impact of pollution on society, the UNEP launched #BeatPollution, a strategy for rapid, large-scale, and coordinated action against air, land, and water pollution. The strategy highlights the impact of pollution on climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and human health. Through science-based messaging, the campaign highlights how transitioning to a pollution-free planet is vital for future generations.
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