Potential GHG mitigation options for agriculture in China

Chinaʹs agriculture accounts for about 5–15% of total national emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Land-use changes related to agriculture are not major contributors of greenhouse gas emissions in China. Mitigation options are available that could result in significant decrease in CH4 and N2O emissions from agricultural systems, and are likely to increase crop and animal productivity. Implementation has the potential to decrease CH4 emissions from rice paddies, ruminants, and animal waste by 4–40%. Improving the efficiency of plant utilization of fertilizer N could decrease N2O emissions from agriculture by almost 20%. Analyses of several of the proposed options show positive economic as well as environmental benefits.