Nitrogen is essential for food production, yet its mismanagement drives pollution, soil degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions. This session highlights the co-benefits of sustainable nitrogen management (SNM)—from reducing nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions to improving water quality and food security.

Panelists will discuss embedding SNM into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration to advance climate, biodiversity, and agricultural goals.

Event objectives

Highlight the urgency of sustainable nitrogen management (SNM): 
To raise awareness of nitrogen’s critical role in food production and the global impacts of its mismanagement—ranging from air and water pollution to soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions. 
 
Promote policy integration at COP30: 
To advocate for the inclusion of nitrous oxide reduction and broader SNM practices in the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, aligning with the Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Work on Agriculture and Food Security. 
 
Advance multi-stakeholder collaboration: 
To strengthen cooperation among governments, research institutions, civil society, and the agricultural sector in addressing barriers to SNM implementation and scaling up innovative, farmer-centered nutrient management solutions. 

Key outcomes

Enhanced recognition of nitrogen within climate governance: 
Participants will gain a shared understanding of the nitrogen cycle’s centrality to climate action, emphasizing nitrous oxide as a potent but under-addressed greenhouse gas in global climate policy. 
 
Policy and technical pathways identified: 
The discussion will generate actionable recommendation, particularly technical solutions to manage fertilizer and manure from farms, for embedding SNM into NDCs, agricultural transition frameworks, and circular economy strategies—linking climate mitigation with co-benefits for air, water, soil, and biodiversity. 
 
Strengthened partnerships and implementation momentum: 
The event will catalyze new partnerships among policymakers, scientists, and agricultural actors to pursue joint initiatives, pilot programs, and knowledge-sharing platforms that support sustainable, low-emission food systems.