The Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM), one of the pillars of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA), provides a platform for governments, UN agencies, research insititutes, the private sector, and civil society to build and collaborate on a shared agenda. It aims to mainstream best practices and integrated assessments, ensuring that policymaking and investments across multiple sectors address the challenges of reducing nutrient pollution. Join the GPNM.
This Update provides an overview of key events of the GPNM in 2024.
Table of Content
- 2024 GPNM Online Meeting
- GPNM Technical Webinar Series
- GPNM Provides Technical Support to the UNEP Working Group on Nitrogen
- GPNM at 2024 International Forums
- Special Thanks to Professor Ramesh Ramachandran, Former GPNM Chair
- GPNM Revamps its Steering Committee and Elects New Co-Chairs
- Communication products on Sustainable Nutrient Management
2024 GPNM Online Meeting
The 2024 GPNM online meeting for all partnership members and stakeholders on nutrient management was held on 16 and 17 October 2024. Featuring presentations on nutrient use efficiency, integrated approaches for tackling drought and potential avenues for collaboration with industry, the meeting underscored the urgent need for integrated approaches and collaborative efforts in nutrient management to ensure sustainable agricultural practices that enhance food security and mitigate drought risks while protecting ecosystems. The meeting stimulated discussion on emerging issues among the wider GPNM membership and identified ways the partnership could further promote research and policy intervention on nutrient management.
GPNM Technical Webinar Series
The GPNM organized a series of technical webinars to share information and highlight the importance of nutrient flows and their impacts on global society in 2024. This initiative was conducted in collaboration with organizations such as the Ammonia Energy Association, the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Global Wastewater Initiative (GWWI), the International Fertilizer Association (IFA), and the regional seas conventions and action plans. The series aimed to identify and promote effective solutions for nutrient management.
The topics discussed included management of phosphate fertilizers, good practices in interministerial coordination, sustainable nitrogen management: global developments, closing the loop: nutrient recovery from wastewater, national action plans and lessons learned, ammonia as a fuel, among others.
Phosphorus is an essential macronutrient required by all living organisms, including humans. However, excess phosphorus contributes to the pollution of lakes, rivers, and oceans in a process known as eutrophication. This joint webinar between the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Fertilizer Association (IFA), explored sustainable phosphorus management practices that promote healthy soils as the ecological foundation for sustainable food systems through the effective use of plant nutrients.
The shipping sector is crucial for international trade, but it contributes approximately 3% of total human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, which have harmful effects on both the environment and human health. To address this issue, ammonia is emerging as an appealing low-carbon fuel and hydrogen carrier. However, potential losses and inefficiencies along the value chain may lead to reactive nitrogen emissions, which can negatively impact air quality, human health, and the climate. This webinar, including the International Maritime Organization, the Ammonia Energy Association and others, explored the balance between the environmental benefits of using ammonia as a shipping fuel and its potential effects on the global nitrogen cycle.
Organic farming is a holistic production management system that promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It prioritizes management practices over off-farm inputs, recognizing that regional conditions necessitate locally adapted systems. This webinar, including the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the ProSoil GIZ and others, highlighted various organic farming strategies and their potential to support sustainable nitrogen management in Africa. It aimed to improve understanding of current knowledge and future challenges related to organic farming strategies for effective sustainable nitrogen management.
Deoxygenation and hypoxia in coastal waters, driven by land-based pollution such as excess nitrogen and phosphorus, have increased exponentially since the 1960s. Approximately 500 separate low oxygen "dead zones" now cover 245,000 square kilometers of ocean. Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans aim to address the accelerating degradation of the world’s oceans and coastal areas by engaging neighboring countries in comprehensive and specific actions to protect their shared marine environment. Organized by the GPNM in cooperation with the Regional Seas Programme, this webinar shared best practices of regional action plans for better policy coordination and highlighted the gaps and challenges faced thus far in addressing the nutrient challenge.
Nitrous oxide is approximately 270 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of warming the planet and is currently responsible for approximately 10% of net global warming since the industrial revolution. Primarily emitted from agricultural practices such as the use of synthetic fertilizers and manure, N₂O is the third most significant greenhouse gas and the top ozone-depleting substance still being released into the atmosphere. Jointly organized by the GPNM and the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI), this webinar invited a few lead authors of the assessment to share key messages that shine a spotlight on a critical but often overlooked climate threat. The assessment highlights actionable steps to cut emissions by over 40%, with deeper reductions achievable through transformations in food systems and society.
GPNM Provides Technical Support to the UNEP Working Group on Nitrogen
The fifth meeting of the UNEP Working Group on Nitrogen was held in Nairobi in a hybrid format from 9 - 10 January 2024. Countries included Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and USA presented opportunities, challenges, and technical support requirements for preparing National Action Plans (NAPs). The Working group also continued their discussions on improved Coordination of Policies across the Global Nitrogen Cycle, exploring potential options and modalities. The summary report was finalized and made available ahead of the sixth session of the UN Environment Assembly. On the afternoon of January 10, 2024, GPNM organized an informal expert group meeting. The meeting focused on addressing challenges posed by phosphorus pollution and explored cooperation with the Nitrogen Working Group.
The sixth meeting of the UNEP Working Group on Nitrogen was held online from 26 - 27 June 2024. The working group discussed the development of national action plans on sustainable nitrogen management, lessons learned from international policy, revised the TOR of the Working Group, and developed a draft Roadmap on how to reduce nitrogen pollution by 2030.
In November 2024, multistakeholder meetings took place in Sri Lanka and Trinidad and Tobago for the initial phase of developing a national action plan.
National Consultation Meeting in Sri Lanka
The latest in the series of Sri Lanka’s multistakeholder meetings for the development of a national action plan on sustainable nitrogen management was held on 25 November 2024. The meeting gathered 70 participants representing various sectors, including health, energy, agriculture, marine management, transport, industry, waste, intergovernmental organizations, and more. The presentations and background documentation provided for the meeting served as effective catalysts for policy dialogue.
National Consultation Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago
The national stakeholder meeting on the development of the national action plan on sustainable nitrogen management was held on 14 November 2024 at the Head office of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Nearly 30 participants attended the meeting, representing agencies including the Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Energy, Environmental Management Agency, and Wastewater Management Authority. The meeting discussed gaps, needs and actions required for developing the Plan.
GPNM 2024 International Forums
GPNM Presents its Activities at the Ninth International Nitrogen Conference
GPNM introduced its activities at the 9th International Nitrogen Conference, jointly organized by the International Nitrogen Initiative and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) in New Delhi from February 5 - 8, 2024. The overarching theme of the conference was “Balancing Global Change and Sustainability.” During a panel discussion, Dr. Ning Liu from UNEP updated the attendees on the progress of the UNEP Working Group on Nitrogen and the Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM). He highlighted the importance of translating scientific findings into policy recommendations.
GPNM at the 6th UN Environmental Assembly
A side event, titled “Making Nitrogen Visible through the Sustainable Development Goals”, was organized by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Co-ordination, Government of Pakistan, in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change, Government of Maldives, the Ministry of Environment, Government of Japan, South Asian Nitrogen Hub (SANH), the International Nitrogen Management System (INMS), the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI), the Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM), the GCRF South Asian Nitrogen Hub and several partner organizations, on 26 February 2024 at UNEA 6. It highlighted the urgency of addressing human disturbance of the nitrogen cycle, welcomed emerging findings from the International Nitrogen Assessment and summarized the progress on implementing UNEA Resolutions 4/14 and 5/2, including options for intergovernmental coordination on nitrogen policies and national action plans.
GPNM at Bonn Climate Change Conference SB60
GPNM co-organized a side event titled “Making Nitrogen Visible Through the Rio Conventions” during the Bonn Climate Change Conference on 7 June 2024. The event explored how nitrogen waste and pollution are reflected across the Rio Conventions—governing climate change, biodiversity, and desertification—and highlighted how sustainable nitrogen management can deliver just, inclusive, and enduring progress towards internationally agreed goals.
GPNM at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2024
At the UN High-Level Political Forum held on 16 July 2024, GPNM co-organized a side event titled “Making Nitrogen Visible: A reflection on the Sustainable Development Goals”. The event illuminated the intersectional nature of nitrogen waste and pollution and showcased options and solutions to sustainably manage this life-giving—and life-taking—nutrient. Sustainable nitrogen management is key to the implementation of the SDGs.
GPNM contributes to the GEF 10th International Waters Conference.
GPNM members cooperated with the International Nitrogen Management System (INMS) in presenting to the GEF 10th International Waters Conference in Punte del Este, Uruguay (21st to 26th September 2024). Together, members presented session “Mobilizing global and regional action on nitrogen and nutrient pollution for a healthy planet” in a fast-paced “GEF Talk Show” format co-hosted by Ms Gabrielle de Souza (Trinidad and Tobago) and Prof. Mark Sutton (UKCEH).
The session highlighted science developments as part of the International Nitrogen Assessment, pointed to the need for national roadmaps and action plans, and emphasized how sustainable nitrogen and nutrient management is multi-sectoral with actions needed in transport, industry, bio-energy, food waste reduction, fertilizer use efficiency and improved management of livestock excreta, all of which can reduce the waste of valuable nitrogen resources.
GPNM at the Convention on Biological Diversity COP16
GPNM supported a side event, titled “Game-Changers for the Global Biodiversity Framework: Ensuring success where the SDGs have not been delivered”, at the Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16), which was organized by the International Fertilizer Association, at Cali, Colombia on 25 October 2024. Susan Gardner, Director of UNEP’s Ecosystems Division, delivered a keynote address at the event. This high-level roundtable discussed the critical steps needed to advance the implementation of the 23 Global Biodiversity Framework Targets by 2030 to avoid some of the gaps in the SDG implementation. It also served as a platform for stakeholders to share insight and strategies, fostering collaboration and commitments to accelerate progress across multiple targets.
GPNM at UNFCCC COP29
UNEP co-organized two side events at the 29th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. The first one, titled "Sustainable Nitrogen Management: Collaborative Solutions for Climate Action, Environment and Food Security", was organized on 21 November 2024 at the Pakistan Pavilion. It was opened by the Pakistan Minister of Environment, followed by key messages from Bruno Pozzi, Deputy Director of UNEP's Ecosystems Division, as well as distinguished speakers from the governments of Japan and Romania, Compassion in World Farming, the International Nitrogen Management System and the GCRF South Asian Nitrogen Hub. The event discussed the urgent need to optimize nitrogen use in agriculture to combat climate change, reduce and reverse environmental damage, and ensure food security.
The second side event, titled "From Wastewater Treatment Plants to Resource Recovery Plants: Raising the ambition for NDCs 3.0", took place on 18 November 2024 at the Swedish Pavilion. This event was inaugurated by the Swedish Ambassador to Baku and featured presentations from government entities, UNEP, and the private sector. The discussions focused on transforming wastewater treatment plants into resource recovery facilities, addressing the fact that only 11% of treated wastewater is reused globally and emphasizing the untapped potential of wastewater. The event highlighted opportunities for recovering energy and nutrients from wastewater, promoting sustainable practices to combat environmental challenges.
Special Thanks to Professor Ramesh Ramachandran
Prof. Ramesh Ramachandran served as Chair of the Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM) from July 2016 to December 2024. During his tenure, he contributed his expertise in coastal ecosystem biogeochemistry and nutrient management to address global knowledge gaps and build partnerships across diverse stakeholders. Under his leadership, GPNM strengthened its role as a platform supporting international frameworks, including the UNEA resolutions on Sustainable Nitrogen Management.
He supported inclusive approaches by helping establish National Nitrogen Steering Committees and regional hubs to enhance coordination at various levels. A significant aspect of his tenure was the strategic use of webinars to facilitate dialogue, knowledge exchange, and capacity-building among stakeholders, including governments, research institutions, civil society, and industry, as well as global bodies such as UNEP’s Nitrogen Working Group (NWG).
He also contributed to the launch of the #BeatNitrogenPollution campaign, which aimed to raise global awareness of nutrient-related challenges and promote action. Additionally, he promoted cross-sectoral collaborations, including with the Global Wastewater Initiative (GWWI), to advance integrated approaches to nutrient recycling and pollution reduction.
GPNM Steering Committee Meeting
The GPNM Steering Committee met virtually on July 15, 2024. The objectives of the meeting were to welcome twelve new members to the committee, commence the election process for new co-chairs of the GPNM, and draft a work plan for the partnership. The Steering Committee emphasized the need for a common understanding of nutrient use efficiency and target-setting, mobilizing the private sector to contribute to nutrient management, and collaborating with all relevant stakeholders to raise awareness and advance research in the field of nutrient management.
GPNM Revamps its Steering Committee and Elects New Co-Chairs
The Global Partnership on Nutrient Management is pleased to welcome Ms. Itsuki Kuroda from the Ministry of Environment, Japan, and Professor Mark Sutton from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology as the new Co-Chairs. Their three-year term will begin on January 1st, 2025.
Ms. Itsuki (Suki) Kuroda has overseen various pollution-related matters at the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ). Her work includes the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC), global plastic treaty negotiations, the Minamata Convention, G7/G20 initiatives, and the Asia-Pacific regional air pollution control framework.
Prof. Mark Sutton has led several key national and international collaborative projects, including the GEF/UNEP project ‘Towards the establishment of an International Nitrogen Management System (Towards INMS)’ and the UKRI Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF) South Asian Nitrogen Hub. both of which contribute to the wider INMS process. He is the co-chair of the UNECE Task Force on Reactive Nitrogen, a body under the Geneva Air Convention, and recently led the development of the first UNECE Guidance Document on Integrated Sustainable Nitrogen Management.
The partnership also welcomed twelve new members to its Steering Committee for 3-year terms.
Communication products on Sustainable Nutrient Management
UNEP has developed various resources to share knowledge and raise awareness about sustainable nutrient management. Below are some examples.
The Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM) provides a platform for governments, UN agencies, scientists, and the private sector to collaborate on a common agenda. It aims to mainstream best practices and integrated assessments, ensuring that policymaking and investments are effectively "nutrient proofed." Interested in joining the GPNM? Kindly fill out this form