Why Is India a Leading Nitrous Oxide Emitter?

June 13, 2024

India has emerged as the world’s second-largest source of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas. In 2020, the country was responsible for almost 11% of the world’s human-made N2O pollution. Only China was responsible for more, at 16%. The in-depth study, which was released in the journal Earth System Science Data, shows that the amount of N2O in the atmosphere is rising. In 2022, it was 336 parts per billion, which is 25% more than it was before industrialization.

What are the sources of Nitrous Oxide Emissions?

The use of nitrogen fertilizers in farming is the main cause of N2O pollution. Together, these fertilizers and animal waste were to blame for 74% of all N2O pollution caused by people in the last ten years. Human actions are very important because they cause 6.4% of all greenhouse gases to radiate forward. The most noticeable rise in pollution over the past four decades has been a 40% rise, which equals an extra three million metric tons of N2O per year.

Global Impact and the Urgency of Reduction

Carbon dioxide is still the main greenhouse gas, but experts are calling for immediate action because N2O stays in the atmosphere for a long time and rises quickly. Over a hundred years, N2O has been in the atmosphere and has caused the temperature to rise by about 0.1°C. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted that world temperatures would rise well above 3°C by the end of the century. However, current atmospheric concentrations are even higher than their worst-case scenarios.

Strategic Responses and Recommendations

To meet the goal of the Paris Agreement to keep global temperatures below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, N2O emissions from humans must be cut by at least 20% from 2019 levels by 2050. The fact that nitrogen fertilizers are subsidized, especially in places like India, and that people want more meat and dairy products makes it clear that farming methods and handouts need to change. Experts say that these funds should be used to support more sustainable farming methods that reduce N2O emissions and clean up waterways polluted by nitrogen runoff.

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