The Low-Emission Ammonia Fertilizer (LEAF) initiative, backed by the Hydrogen Council, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and others, builds off a Public-Private Action Statement to reduce costs and build demand for cleaner nitrogen-based fertilisers.
Current nitrogen fertiliser production accounts for around 1% of global emissions, with the majority of carbon dioxide stemming from hydrogen generation by steam methane reforming (SMR) of natural gas.
In a report prepared by the Hydrogen Council, over 80% of that CO2 footprint could be abated with technologies that already exist.
This suggests a focus on retrofitting existing SMR units in ammonia plants with carbon capture technologies, as well as new-build plants equipped with blue and green hydrogen production capacity.
CO2 produced by SMR already needs to be removed from hydrogen streams to allow ammonia synthesis to take place. However, today, this CO2 is not captured and permanently stored.
“The challenges of a complex supply chain, the need for substantial investments at one end of the chain, cost inflation at the consumer level, and the lack of clear and substantial demand for low-carbon products have been limiting factors in the widespread adoption of technologies to manufacture low-emission ammonia,” the report stated.
The report claimed the cost increase to consumers for products made with low-emissions fertilisers could be just 1–3% while cutting product-level emissions by up to 30%.
The widespread adoption of low-carbon ammonia for fertilisers, the group claims, could deliver cost-efficient, scalable decarbonisation that also strengthens supply chain resilience and food security.
Under the Public-Private Action Statement, proponents have called for demand aggregation from fast-moving consumer goods companies to “unlock” investment and accelerate deployment.
It also urged for more policy incentives and market mechanisms like carbon pricing, border adjustments, and contracts for difference to improve project bankability.
Finally, it stressed that consistent carbon accounting approaches, such as book-and-claim systems, could help companies demonstrate scope 3 decarbonisation in complex, global supply chains.
Other LEAF backers include PepsiCo, Rocky Mountain Institute, International Fertilizer Association, Hydrogen Europe, and Ammonia Energy Association.
“The LEAF initiative sets the sector on the path to realise the opportunity that low-emission fertilisers present by ensuring that public-private collaboration translates into measurable progress on deploying low-emission fertilisers and advancing food system resilience and sustainable agriculture worldwide,” said CF Industries President and CEO Tony Will.
Hydrogen Council CEO Ivana Jemelkova added, “It’s strong alliances like these that turn ambition into impact through concrete joint action plans – creating lead markets for clean hydrogen and low-emission solutions that drive sustainability, security and resilience.”