Brunei Darussalam's Sources of N2O Emissions
Key Insights
Overall Trajectory And Turning Point
Brunei Darussalam's nitrous oxide emissions stayed very low for much of the historical record, then edged upward. A clear turning point appears in the late 2010s, when energy-related emissions accelerated sharply and overtook agriculture, lifting total annual emissions to new highs.
Agriculture’s Long, Steady Climb
From the post-war era to the early 1990s, agricultural emissions were minimal and stable. Since the early 1990s they have risen at a measured pace, with limited year-to-year swings, reaching around 0.1 megatonnes by the early 2020s. The pattern is one of gradual, steady growth rather than volatility.
Energy’s Sharp Late-Decade Surge
Energy-related emissions remained near negligible levels through 2017. From the late 2010s to 2024 they surged rapidly to roughly 0.45 megatonnes, the most pronounced shift in the series. This surge has made energy the largest source in recent years.
Other Sources Stay Modest
Emissions from other sources increased slowly from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s and then hovered around 0.02 megatonnes with little volatility. Waste and industry remain marginal in the overall picture.
Outlook And Near-Term Priorities
Today, energy is on a steep upward trajectory, agriculture continues a gentle rise, and other sources are broadly stable. Reversing the recent surge in energy and bending the agricultural trend downward would deliver the biggest gains in reducing Brunei Darussalam's nitrous oxide emissions.
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
About the Data
The last available year in all the emission datasets is 2023. N2O emissions come from the PRIMAP-Hist dataset. It is a rich dataset that combines several published sources to create a historical emissions time series for various greenhouse gases.
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 (1750-2023)
Update cycle: Every few monthsDelay: Less than 1 yearCredits: Gütschow, Johannes; Busch, Daniel; Pflüger, Mika (2024): The PRIMAP-hist national historical emissions time series (1750-2023) v2.6. Zenodo.