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Projections and Mitigation Costs
EPA has developed emissions, projections and conducted economic analyses of the costs of reducing emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O).
Emission Estimates
Figure 1 shows the historical and projected emissions of N2O in the U.S. from human-related sources. At this time there are no formal EPA voluntary programs to promote N2O reductions in specific industries. However, the historical and projected emissions shown in Figure 1 account for activities that some industries have undertaken independently to address N2O emissions.
Figure 1
Source: Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2008; US Fifth Climate Action Report (2010)
Future Emission Projections and Mitigation Costs
To date, EPA has conducted economic analyses on two N2O sources: adipic and nitric acid production. EPA issued a report in 2001 that discusses N2O emissions from adipic and nitric acid production and the technological options for reducing these emissions:
U.S. Adipic Acid and Nitric Acid N2O Emissions 1990-2020: Inventories, Projections and Opportunities for Reductions, December 2001 (PDF) (15 pp, 52K, About PDF). This paper presents the historic and projected emissions of N2O in the U.S. from adipic acid and nitric acid production. The paper also presents the options for further reducing N2O from these sources and costs associated with each option.
EPA is currently in the process of estimating emission projections and costs of reducing N2O emissions from agricultural soils. A full report will be posted when available. For mitigation estimates world wide, see International Analyses.