Evaluation and comparison of nitrogen mitigation measures across sectors

To account for the complexity of the nitrogen problem, a holistic and integrative approach is needed that includes all relevant sectors – agriculture, industry and energy production, transportation and households. We developed a tool that compiles mitigation measures from all fields and compares and evaluates them according to their legal and technical feasibility, effectiveness, efficiency and acceptance to identify the most suitable measures that should be included in an integrative strategy for nitrogen emission reduction, also taking interrelations between the measures into account.

Nitrogen in its reactive form is released as different compounds by various sectors, especially industry and energy production, agriculture and transport. To develop an effective strategy for nitrogen mitigation, a holistic and integrative approach is needed that includes mitigation measures from all fields.

We conducted a broad literature review of existing inventories of mitigation measures, reports of implemented mitigation measures in Germany or other European countries and suggestions for mitigation measures from different organisations. The results were compiled in an excel tool, where information about the mitigation measure, the corresponding policy instrument, the addressed nitrogen compound and sector, the implementing regulation and a possible measure design were systematically documented. We then developed a set of evaluation criteria to assess and compare the measures across sectors and identify measures most suitable for the German nitrogen strategy.