Fossils, Fertilizers, and False Solutions

Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)

How Laundering Fossil Fuels in Agrochemicals Puts the Climate and the Planet at Risk

Part 1 of this report sets the stage by summarizing synthetic fertilizer market trends, describing how chemical fertilizer is tied to fossil fuels through feedstocks, examining the 2022 food and fertilizer market disruptions, and calling attention to the ecological and climate impacts of synthetic fertilizers. It also includes a description of key corporate actors in the fertilizer space, with profiles of major nitrogen fertilizer producers. Part 2 explores how the fertilizer industry and fossil fuel producers are capitalizing on the climate crisis to open new avenues for profit and production through initiatives in CCS, as well as in hydrogen and ammonia. The report finishes with some key messages and conclusions.