Belgium's Sources of N2O Emissions
Key Insights
2024 N2O Emissions Profile
In 2024, Belgium's N2O emissions totalled around 8.4 megatonnes CO2e. Industry was the largest source, at around 4.5 megatonnes CO2e (53.4%), followed by agriculture at 2.95 (35.2%). Energy contributed 0.48 (5.7%), waste 0.31 (3.6%) and other sources 0.17 (2.0%). Over the ten years to 2024, all sources except waste declined; industry and agriculture dominated emissions.
Historic Agriculture Emissions
Agricultural emissions began at around 0.2 megatonnes CO2e in the early 1850s and rose gradually to roughly 0.8 by 1941, despite some variation. They climbed sharply to around 2.2 by 1948, then reached a peak of roughly 3.5 in 1999. Emissions subsequently declined to around 2.95 megatonnes CO2e in 2024.
Historic Energy Emissions
Energy emissions started at about 0.05 megatonnes CO2e in the early 1850s and increased to around 0.35 by the early 1930s. They rose further after the late 1940s, peaking at roughly 0.67 in 1996. Emissions then declined gradually, reaching around 0.48 megatonnes CO2e in 2024.
Historic Industry Emissions
Industrial emissions were near zero in the early 1850s but became substantial after 1945, rising to around 6.3 megatonnes CO2e by 1977. They peaked at roughly 8.2 in 1984, then varied considerably, falling as low as about 3.2 in 1992 before recovering. In 2024, emissions were around 4.5 megatonnes CO2e.
Historic Waste Emissions
Waste emissions began at roughly 0.01 megatonnes CO2e in the early 1850s and rose gradually to around 0.16 by the early 1970s. They remained broadly stable until the mid-1980s, then increased to a peak of about 0.31 in 2011. Emissions stood at around 0.31 megatonnes CO2e in 2024.
Historic Other Emissions
Other emissions began at around 0.3 megatonnes CO2e in the early 1850s and increased to roughly 0.6 by the late 1960s. They peaked at about 0.61 in 1979, then declined, with a sharper fall after the late 1990s. By 2024, they had reached around 0.17 megatonnes CO2e.
Background
The chart shows a national breakdown by source of the yearly nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from human activities and processes, expressed as weight in megatonnes (Mt). Human-induced emissions are the main driver of the increasing atmospheric nitrous oxide that is warming our planet. The sources of human nitrous oxide emissions are
- Agriculture
- Energy
- Industry
- Waste
- Other
Agriculture
Emissions related to agriculture are mainly from the use of synthetic fertilizers and manure management.
Synthetic fertilizer, used for agricultural processes, contains a lot of nitrogen. That nitrogen in the soil reacts and causes considerable N2O emissions. The use of excess fertilizer, meaning more fertilizer than the plants can use to grow, causes even higher relative emissions. Applying the right amount of fertilizer at the right time can reduce N2O emissions. There are many technical solutions to reduce emissions while keeping, or even increasing, agricultural yields.
When manure is left on the field or otherwise managed in dry processes, it emits considerable amounts of nitrous oxide. Manure can be managed by wet processes, which reduces nitrous oxide emissions but increases methane emissions. Some technical solutions focus on modifying the animal feed to reduce the nitrogen in the manure, thereby reducing nitrous oxide emissions.
Energy, Industry, Waste, and Other
All non-agricultural categories together have much lower emissions than agricultural emissions alone.
N2O emissions related to energy are almost all from the combustion of fossil fuels. For example, the combustion of fossil fuels in power plants, cars, and airplanes not only causes CO2 emissions but also emits nitrous oxide (N2O). Any advances to reducing fossil fuel dependency will thus also reduce nitrous oxide emissions.
Most industry-related emissions are from the chemical industry for producing fertilizer, nylon, and similar products. Technologies are available to reduce emissions in these processes.
Nitrous oxide emissions from waste come from, for example, wastewater treatment and landfills.
Wikipedia: Nitrous oxideIPCC: AR6, 5.16 Anthropogenic nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions
Units and Measures
N2O emissions are expressed in the total weight in megatonnes per year. 1 Megatonne is equal to 1 million tonnes.
Wikipedia: MegatonneWikipedia: Global warming potential
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via DonorboxAbout the Data
National N2O emissions data through 2024 is from the PRIMAP-hist dataset, which combines several published sources into a historical emissions time series.
The Key Insights paragraph was created using a large language model (LLM) in combination with our data, historic events, and a structured approach for best accuracy by separating the context generation from the interpretation and narrative.
Data Sources
PRIMAP-hist The PRIMAP-hist national historical emissions time series (1750-2024)
Update cycle: Every few monthsDelay: Less than 1 yearCredits: Gütschow, J.; Busch, D.; Pflüger, M. (2025): The PRIMAP-hist national historical emissions time series v2.7 (1750-2024). zenodo. doi:10.5281/zenodo.17090760