Key Takeaways
- 3Degrees has launched the Low Carbon Fertilizer Alliance, aimed at reducing emissions in agricultural supply chains.
- The Alliance is backed by founding member Mars, Inc. and three additional Fortune 200 food companies.
- CF Industries, the largest nitrogen fertilizer producer in North America, has joined as the founding manufacturing member.
- The Alliance will fund decarbonization projects, including a nitric acid emissions abatement initiative at CF Industries’ Verdigris, Oklahoma facility, expected to cut 600,000 metric tons of CO₂e annually by 2025.
- Membership is open to food, beverage, and apparel companies sourcing agricultural products in North America.
3Degrees Establishes Industry Alliance to Address Fertilizer Emissions
3Degrees, a global climate solutions provider and certified B Corporation, has launched the Low Carbon Fertilizer Alliance to help businesses in the food, beverage, and apparel industries reduce emissions from their agricultural supply chains.
The Alliance is designed to fund emissions reduction initiatives in fertilizer production, an industry responsible for 2.6 gigatonnes of CO₂e annually—more than the aviation and shipping industries combined.
According to John Bourne, Senior Director of Agriculture at 3Degrees: “While fertilizer manufacturing emissions represent over 20% of the emissions footprint of many agricultural commodities, the challenge is that these emissions are far upstream, making them difficult for any single company to finance and claim. This is why collective action is essential.”
Decarbonization in Action: CF Industries’ Emissions Reduction Project
As part of its commitment to the Low Carbon Fertilizer Alliance, CF Industries will undertake an emissions abatement project at its Verdigris, Oklahoma facility. The project will:
- Reduce emissions by 600,000 metric tons CO₂e per year starting in 2025.
- Focus on cutting emissions from nitric acid production, a key ingredient in urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN), the most commonly used fertilizer in the U.S.
The Alliance’s funding model will help drive similar large-scale emissions reduction initiatives across the fertilizer industry.
Industry Collaboration for Credible Emission Reductions
To ensure companies can accurately account for upstream emissions reductions, the Alliance’s technical working group developed the Reporting and Claims Guidance V1.0. This framework helps businesses integrate the impact of Alliance-supported interventions into their sustainability reporting.
Autumn Fox, Global Sustainability Director at Mars, emphasized the importance of industry-wide collaboration: “By working together, we ensure that our accounting for upstream emission reductions is credible and aligned with our peers, while moving the needle on decarbonizing the inputs that farmers rely on.”
