• An alliance of first-mover governments, international organizations, and businesses from the food, agriculture, fertilizer, sustainable fuels, and manufacturing sectors has united at COP30 in Brazil to accelerate scale adoption of low-emission ammonia-based fertilizers through the Low-Emission Ammonia Fertilizer (LEAF) Initiative.

An alliance of first-mover governments, international organizations, and businesses from the food, agriculture, fertilizer, sustainable fuels, and manufacturing sectors has united at COP30 in Brazil to accelerate scale adoption of low-emission ammonia-based fertilizers through the Low-Emission Ammonia Fertilizer (LEAF) Initiative.

Nitrogen fertilizers are essential to global food security, supporting the harvests that feed communities worldwide. Yet conventional ammonia-based fertilizer production accounts for 510 MT of greenhouse gas emissions globally – a footprint comparable to Brazil’s or Germany’s total annual emissions. Reducing these emissions while maintaining essential nutrient supply and safeguarding food security and affordability requires a comprehensive, industry-wide effort underpinned by strong public-private collaboration.

The LEAF Initiative is designed to operationalize global efforts advancing collaborative action, particularly the Breakthrough Agenda, as well as the COP30 Plans to Accelerate Solutions and bilateral partnerships such as the one between the governments of the United Kingdom (UK) and Brazil. These global initiatives identify core areas for collaboration, all of which are addressed by the COP30 LEAF Initiative and its dedicated Public-Private Action Statement, launched on November 8, 2025, at COP30.

The LEAF Initiative has been championed by the Hydrogen Council and partners, including Breakthrough Agenda, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), PepsiCo, 3Degrees Low-Emission Fertilizer Alliance, Rocky Mountain Institute, Centre for Green Markets Activation, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, International Fertilizer Association, Mission Possible Partnership, Hydrogen Europe, Ammonia Energy Association.

The Public-Private Action Statement identifies three key priorities for collective action:

1. Accelerate large-scale investments by closing the cost gap and activate demand
2. Boost investor confidence and reduce transaction costs through standards and market-based mechanisms
3. Advance public-private collaboration on policy frameworks and financial instruments

The Action Statement remains open for endorsements by November 20, COP30 Thematic Day for Agriculture, Food Systems and Food Security, Fisheries, and Family Farming.

To support this initiative, the Hydrogen Council published the Roadmap to Scale Low-Emission Ammonia Fertilizers, in collaboration with key agri-food stakeholders and McKinsey & Company. The roadmap provides insights into market fundamentals and analytics supporting the key priority actions.