Guyana's Sources of N2O Emissions
Key Insights
2024 N2O Emissions Profile
Guyana's anthropogenic N2O emissions totalled around 0.537 megatonnes CO2e in 2024. Agriculture was by far the largest source, at 0.429 megatonnes CO2e and 79.8% of emissions, declining by about 0.0025 megatonnes CO2e per year over the ten years to 2024. Other sources contributed 0.059 megatonnes CO2e (11.0%), energy 0.034 megatonnes CO2e (6.4%), and waste 0.015 megatonnes CO2e (2.7%). Energy also declined, while waste and other sources edged upward.
Historic Agriculture Emissions
Agricultural emissions began at around 0.003 megatonnes CO2e in 1851 and became more substantial after the 1940s, rising to roughly 0.273 megatonnes CO2e by 1974. They then fell to around 0.202 in 1983. Emissions later fluctuated, reaching a peak of roughly 0.508 megatonnes CO2e in 2019, before ending at around 0.429 megatonnes CO2e in 2024.
Historic Energy Emissions
Energy emissions started near 0.001 megatonnes CO2e in 1851 and rose gradually through the mid-twentieth century, reaching around 0.049 megatonnes CO2e in 1982. They subsequently varied at higher levels, peaking at roughly 0.057 megatonnes CO2e in 1999. By 2024, energy emissions had declined to around 0.034 megatonnes CO2e.
Historic Waste Emissions
Waste emissions remained very low throughout the historical period, beginning near 0.001 megatonnes CO2e in 1851. They increased slowly from the mid-twentieth century, with only limited variation around the 1980s. Waste emissions reached their peak of around 0.015 megatonnes CO2e in 2024, which was also the final value.
Historic Other Emissions
Other emissions began at around 0.01 megatonnes CO2e in 1851 and rose slowly to roughly 0.029 by 1981. They then increased sharply, reaching a peak of about 0.153 megatonnes CO2e in 1984. Emissions later fluctuated and fell to a low near 0.029 in 2006, ending at around 0.059 megatonnes CO2e in 2024.
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