Fossils, Fertilizers, and False Solutions

The report details how the global production of nitrogen fertilizers has grown nearly ninefold since 1961, creating a systemic dependency on fossil gas. It argues that the agrochemical industry is collaborating with oil and gas companies to 'launder' fossil fuels through the promotion of blue hydrogen and blue ammonia paired with carbon capture and storage (CCS). The document asserts that these technologies are technically and economically infeasible for most uses and serve as a distraction to delay the phaseout of fossil fuels and industrial agriculture. It further highlights the environmental impacts of these chemicals, including the crossing of planetary boundaries related to nitrogen and phosphorus flows and chemical pollution.

• Global nitrogen fertilizer production has increased nearly ninefold since 1961, rising from 12.9 million tonnes to more than 123 million tonnes in 2020.
• Synthetic nitrogen fertilizer is a significant but underrecognized driver of the climate crisis, contributing approximately 2 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions, which exceeds the impact of commercial aviation.
• The production of ammonia, the base for nitrogen fertilizers, is highly emissions-intensive, releasing an estimated 450 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, a footprint equivalent to the total energy system emissions of South Africa.
• Agricultural soils treated with nitrogen fertilizers are a dominant source of nitrous oxide (N2O), a greenhouse gas 265 times more potent than carbon dioxide; emissions of N2O from agriculture have increased by more than 45 percent since the 1980s.
• The fossil fuel and fertilizer industries are collaborating to promote 'blue' hydrogen and 'blue' ammonia—produced from fossil gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS)—as clean energy sources to secure government subsidies and maintain fossil fuel reliance.
• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the fertilizer sector is often used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and the process fails to address upstream emissions from drilling or the nitrous oxide released when fertilizers are applied to soil.
• The overuse of synthetic fertilizers has pushed the Earth beyond critical planetary boundaries, specifically those for biogeochemical flows (nitrogen and phosphorus) and chemical pollution.
• There are deep corporate interlinkages between the two sectors; of eight leading fertilizer companies examined, seven had extensive ties to the fossil fuel industry through board interlocks or ownership.

APA

Drugmand, D., Feit, S., Fuhr, L., & Muffett, C. (2022). Fossils, Fertilizers, and False Solutions. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Fossils-Fertilizers-and-False-Solutions.pdf

Chicago

Drugmand, Dana, Steven Feit, Lili Fuhr, and Carroll Muffett. Fossils, Fertilizers, and False Solutions. Center for International Environmental Law, 2022. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Fossils-Fertilizers-and-False-Solutions.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Drugmand |first1=Dana |last2=Feit |first2=Steven |last3=Fuhr |first3=Lili |last4=Muffett |first4=Carroll |title=Fossils, Fertilizers, and False Solutions |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=October 2022 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Fossils-Fertilizers-and-False-Solutions.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{drugmand2022fossils, author = {Drugmand, Dana and Feit, Steven and Fuhr, Lili and Muffett, Carroll}, title = {{Fossils, Fertilizers, and False Solutions}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2022}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Fossils-Fertilizers-and-False-Solutions.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }