The first-ever global nitrogen footprint modelling has found the United States, China, India and Brazil are responsible for 46 percent of the world's nitrogen emissions.
Wealthy countries are responsible for more than 10 times the emissions of the poorest nations.
The first-ever global nitrogen footprint, encompassing 188 countries, has found the United States, China, India and Brazil are responsible for 46 percent of the world’s nitrogen emissions.
The international collaboration, led by the University of Sydney’s team, found developing countries tend to embody large amounts of nitrogen emissions from their exports of food, textiles and clothing. Australia is one of the few wealthy nations that is a net exporter of nitrogen, because of the substantial agriculture industry.
The economic modelling, which grouped the nitrogen footprint into top-ranking bilateral trade relationships, noted a trend for increased nitrogen production and found developed nations largely responsible for emissions abroad for their own consumption.
PhD candidate Ms , who co-authored the paper with University of Sydney colleagues Professor and Dr , as well as two researchers from and one from Kyushu University in Japan, said significant nitrogen net importers were almost exclusively developed economies.
“High-income nations are responsible for more than 10 times the emissions of the poorest nations,” Ms Malik said. “This reflects greater consumption of animal products, highly processed foods and energy-intensive goods and services,”
The vast bulk of emissions came from industries such as agriculture, transport and energy generation. Emissions from consumers-end use were mostly from sewage.
A paper on the research is published today by the international journal .
Findings of the research of 2010 data includes: