The International Nitrogen Initiative - INI

Luis Lassaletta

Embedding

• INI was established in 2003 • Joint SCOPE and IGBP Project• Tries to find solutions to the nitrogen paradox

(needed for plant growth, but causing damage in excess)

Regional Centers

INI - Europe• Director: Wilfried Winiwarter, IIASA• Steering Committee:– Bruna Grizzetti, JRC – EU, Italy– Hans van Grinsven, PBL – Netherlands– Kevin Hicks, SEI – UK– Maren Voss, IOW – Germany– Wim de Vries, ALTERRA – Netherlands

Key focal areas1. Regional N budgets and N pathways/emissions 2. N compounds in air and water and their relation to effects on

ecosystems and human health 3. Effects of N inputs on terrestrial ecosystems, in interaction with air

quality and climate change 4. N inputs and effects on aquatic/marine ecosystems 5. Links of N and P use and transfer on food productivity and adverse

environmental impacts 6. Regional boundaries for N and P use in view of food production and

adverse environmental impacts 7. N management across Europe and current best practice in Europe

Achievements - reports• European Nitrogen Assessment

(ENA)Sutton et al., 2011

• GPNM-INI report “Our Nutrient World”Sutton et al., 2013

• UNEP Synthesis Report “Drawing Down N2O”Alcamo et al., 2013

Contribution to conferences

• Saltsjöbaden V workshop in Gothenburg, Sweden

• N2013 - Kampala• 18th Nitrogen Workshop, Lisbon, Portugal

Scientific achievements• Sutton and Bleeker, 2013: The shape of nitrogen to come• Winiwarter et al., 2013: Estimating environmentally relevant

fixed nitrogen demand in the 21st century• De Vries et al., 2013: Assessing planetary and regional

nitrogen boundaries related to food security and adverse environmental impacts

• Grizzetti et al., 2013: The contribution of food waste to global and European nitrogen pollution

Contacts• http://initrogen.org/ • http://www.ini-europe.org/ • E-mail: europe@initrogen.org

• Postal address: International Nitrogen Initiative – European Centrec/o Austrian Academy of SciencesClimate and Air Quality CommissionDr. Ignaz Seipel-Platz 21010 WienAustria