China Launches Stakeholder Alliance to Control Industrial Nitrous Oxide Emissions

On 26 November 2025, the Chinese government launched the Industry–Academia–Research Alliance for Controlling Industrial-Sector Nitrous Oxide (N₂O) Emissions in Beijing. The National Center for Climate Strategy and International Cooperation (under the China Ministry of Ecology and Environment) initiated the Alliance, together with the China Nitrogen Fertilizer Industry Association, the China Chemical Energy Conservation Technology Association, key enterprises, and universities. The Alliance is expected to play an active role in supporting the implementation of the Action Plan for Controlling Industrial-Sector N₂O Emissions (IGSD’s bilingual Chinese-English version of the Action Plan is available here).

In the future, the Alliance will:

• Survey major enterprises in key sectors, including adipic acid, nitric acid, and caprolactam industries;
• Accelerate the development of a monitoring standard for industrial-sector N₂O emissions and promote research on N₂O emissions factors;
• Promote research and development of N₂O emissions-control technology and equipment, and accelerate the deployment of this technology and equipment; and
• Strengthen international exchanges and cooperation in N₂O emissions control.

The formation of the Alliance represents a significant step toward mitigating N₂O as a super climate pollutant and ozone-depleting substance in China. As a general matter, N₂O emissions contribute 273 times as much warming as the same amount of carbon dioxide. Additionally, N₂O is not currently controlled under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, though it has a significant ozone-depleting potential comparable to that of certain currently controlled hydrochlorofluorocarbon substances. As part of IGSD’s focus on fast action to mitigate climate super pollutants, we will be closely monitoring this and other developments to implement China’s Action Plan for Controlling Industrial-Sector N₂O Emissions.

Additional IGSD resources:

• IGSD (2025) Primer on Anthropogenic Nitrous Oxide.
• IGSD (27 August 2025) China Releases Industrial Nitrous Oxide Emissions Control Action Plan. IGSD’s bilingual Chinese-English version of the Action Plan is available here.
• IGSD (12 September 2024) China Explores Opportunities to Address Nitrous Oxide Emissions.