Halving nitrogen waste for global sustainable development goals

Abstract Nitrogen waste poses substantial threats to global sustainable development through multiple pathways, prompting the United Nations (UN) to propose halving nitrogen waste as a means to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the pathways and potential to improve global SDGs through halving nitrogen waste are less known. Here we show that nitrogen waste is directly and indirectly linked to all 17 UN 2030 SDGs and that halving nitrogen waste could enhance global SDGs overall by 16%. The total social benefits of halving nitrogen waste could be as high as US$ 1,379 billion, considering improvements in human and ecosystem health and mitigation of climate change. While implementing an evenly halved nitrogen control strategy in systems may cost up to US$ 1,137 billion, adopting cost-effective strategies could slash these expenses by 72%. Our findings provide crucial insights for policymakers and underscore the urgency of developing cost-effective nitrogen waste reduction strategies to achieve global sustainable development.