Costs and Benefits of Halving Nitrogen Waste for Global Sustainable Development Goals

Nitrogen waste is identified as a significant threat to global sustainable development, prompting the United Nations to propose halving such waste to reach Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper uses an integrated assessment framework to quantitatively link nitrogen waste to all 17 UN SDGs, moving beyond previous qualitative analyses. The waste streams include ammonia emissions, nitrous oxide, nitrogen oxides, and water runoff. These pollutants contribute to air and water degradation, soil acidification, and biodiversity loss. The research emphasizes the urgency of implementing management strategies to balance environmental, social, and economic targets by the year 2030.

The analysis concludes that halving nitrogen waste would result in a substantial improvement in global SDG performance. These improvements are driven by better human and ecosystem health as well as more effective climate change mitigation. The study also explores the cost-effectiveness of different control strategies, suggesting that policy choice is critical to the financial feasibility of these goals. While the total costs can be high, the societal benefits are projected to outweigh the expenditures in many scenarios. This research provides essential insights for policymakers looking to develop efficient nitrogen-reduction pathways.

The study reports that halving nitrogen waste could enhance global SDG performance by 19%. The total societal benefit of this reduction is estimated to be as high as US$1,379 billion. On the expenditure side, implementing these control strategies could cost up to US$1,137 billion. However, the authors note that by adopting more cost-effective strategies, these implementation costs could be decreased by up to 72%. These figures demonstrate a clear economic path forward for nitrogen management on a global scale.

He, Peiying, Xiuming Zhang, Chuanzhen Zhang, Binhui Chen, Sitong Wang, Luxi Cheng, Jinglan Cui, et al. "Costs and Benefits of Halving Nitrogen Waste for Global Sustainable Development Goals." *Nature Geoscience* (January 2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01874-2