United Arab Emirates' Sources of N2O Emissions
Key Insights
Oil Discovery and Economic Transformation
The discovery of oil in Abu Dhabi in 1962 marked a pivotal moment for the United Arab Emirates, setting the stage for a significant transformation in its economic landscape. This event catalyzed the development of the oil and gas sector, leading to increased energy consumption and industrial activities. The subsequent formation of the UAE in 1971 further accelerated these developments, contributing to a rise in greenhouse gas emissions, including nitrous oxide (N2O) from energy and industrial sources.
Industrial Expansion and Emission Trends
The completion of the Jebel Ali Free Zone in 1999 and the expansion of Dubai International Airport in 2013 are notable milestones in the UAE's industrial growth. These developments likely contributed to the observed increases in N2O emissions from energy and industry. The data indicates a significant rise in emissions from these sectors over the decades, reflecting the impact of industrialization and increased energy demand.
Renewable Energy Initiatives
In recent years, the UAE has made strides towards reducing its carbon footprint through initiatives like the launch of Masdar City in 2006 and the inauguration of the Shams 1 Solar Plant in 2012. These projects highlight the country's commitment to sustainable development and renewable energy. The operation of the Barakah Nuclear Plant in 2020 further underscores this commitment, as it is expected to significantly offset fossil fuel-based emissions, contributing to a reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions, including N2O.
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 generated using a large language model (LLM) using a structured approach to improve the accuracy. This included 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.