OECD and Nitrogen Budget Indicators Albert Bleeker

Current Nitrogen Indicators OECD – Soil nitrogen balance CBD – Nitrogen deposition Missing the ‘big nitrogen picture’ Extending to: –Other sectors/sources (industry, traffic, waste water, etc.) –Other themes (air quality, biodiversity, eutrophication, etc.) Include these indicators into the OECD: –Green Growth Indicator set –Core Indicator set

Starting point Nitrogen Budget developed for countries and Europe Published in: –European Nitrogen Assessment (2011)

Possible new indicators Using information from the Nitrogen Budget, indicators can be derived, e.g.: –Trend in emissions/release by compound/sector –Trend in application/deposition per area –Nitrogen Use Efficiency per country/production state –Nitrogen Loss per capita/km2/country –….

Proposal Level 1,2 & 3 approach Level 1: easily implementable approach based on available statistics Level 2: refined Level 1 version based on national statistical information Level 3: combining national statistics with national conversion parameters

Level 1 approach Easily implementable Based on internationally available statistics Currently also used as a new indicator under the Convention on Biological Diversity –CBD Target 8 Indicator –“Loss of reactive nitrogen to the environment” Show the nitrogen loss due to: –Production of food –Processing of food –Consumption of food –Use of energy

Nitrogen balances and indicators Tier 1 approach and results