Researchers have calculated the carbon footprint for the full life cycle of fertilizers, which are responsible for approximately five percent of total greenhouse gas emissions – the first time this has been accurately quantified – and found that carbon emissions could be reduced to one-fifth of curr
The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, found that two-thirds of emissions from fertilizers take place after they are spread on fields, with one-third of emissions coming from production processes.
Serrenho and his co-author Yunhu Gao undertook a project to accurately measure the total impacts of fertilizers, one of the two main products of the petrochemical industry. Of all the products made by the petrochemical industry, the vast majority – as much as 74% – are either plastics or fertilizers.
After completing their analysis, the researchers found that, unlike many other products, the majority of emissions for fertilizers occur not during production, but during their use. Emissions from the production of synthetic fertilizers are mostly from ammonia synthesis, partly due to chemical reactions used in the production process. The most effective mitigation at the production stage would be for the industry to decarbonize heating and hydrogen production.
“There are no perfect solutions,” said Serrenho. “We need to rethink how we produce food, and what sorts of economic incentives work best. Perhaps that means paying farmers to produce fewer emissions, perhaps that means paying more for food. We need to find the right mix of financial, technological, and policy solutions to reduce emissions while keeping the world fed.”
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