The 8th International Nitrogen Initiative Conference

INI2021 will take place online from 30 May to 3 June 2021

Reactive nitrogen compounds are a key resource for food production in the light of a growing world population. At the same time, human activities through multiple processes result in losses of reactive nitrogen to all environmental media. The increased abundance of reactive nitrogen in the biosphere leads to numerous effects on the environment, human health, climate and biodiversity. Pressure on the planet’s resources and ecology is steadily increasing. The amount of reactive nitrogen compounds emitted into the environment is far too high and already exceeds the “safe operating space” for future life on our planet. Most of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are closely interlinked with the nitrogen cycle. This demonstrates the crucial importance of solutions for this complex problem, which must fit the framework conditions in the respective region. Meeting these goals in parallel is dependent on spreading knowledge on effective nitrogen management, increasing the efficiency of nitrogen use in food production and decreasing unwanted nitrogen emissions to the biosphere. The recent resolution of the fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) on sustainable nitrogen management recognizes the multiple pollution threats resulting from anthropogenic reactive nitrogen, including air pollution, with adverse effects on the terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments. The resolution supports the exploration of options through which the SDGs could be achieved, including the sharing of assessment methodologies and relevant best practices.

The 8th conference of the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI2021) will be the meeting point for scientists from all over the world who are dealing with reactive nitrogen compounds in agriculture, industry, traffic, soil, water and air. It will be the place to exchange results, ideas and visions to improve future holistic management of reactive nitrogen in order to further reduce hunger and poverty and at the same time avoid further hazards for human health, biodiversity and environmental media. It will be a perfect opportunity to engage with important policy makers and other relevant stakeholders. A joint conference declaration based on the latest scientific knowledge might stimulate further policy action towards effective integrated nitrogen management.

INI conferences are held every three years on different continents. After the first conference in the Netherlands in 1998, INI2021 is now being organized from Europe again: Germany, the place where about 100 years ago scientists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch invented industrial ammonia fixation, a major source of today’s reactive nitrogen circulating through the biosphere, is proud to be the organizer of a major online conference.

At INI2021, scientists and delegates are invited to present findings on:

• Sustainable agriculture, food and nutrition systems, in relation to effective nitrogen management
• Threats for health, environment and biodiversity and solutions to combat these nitrogen-driven effects
• Observations of global challenges, nitrogen fluxes and interactions between different drivers and pressure
• Closing the nitrogen cycle through innovations for sustainable N management
• Integrated nitrogen science and policy approaches

INI2021 is hosted by Germany’s Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt – UBA) with the support of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. Co-organizer is the International Nitrogen Initiative.