International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST), organized a multistakeholder meeting on ‘Green Urea: Economic and Environmental Benefits of a Low-Carbon Future’, on July 30th at India Habitat Centre, Delhi.

This is the first comprehensive techno-economic modelling study of the urea sector in India. The report highlights the urgent need for a Green Urea Mission to modernize urea production and optimize consumption. It underscores the current unsustainable levels of urea use, which threaten food security and depend heavily on imported natural gas, impacting energy security. The proposed mission aims to enhance productivity, reduce environmental costs, and support small farmers, projecting a net benefit of nearly a trillion dollars over the next 25 years.

The study presents detailed models of urea demand from 2025 to 2050, identifying the optimal technology routes for production. Findings reveal that India’s urea consumption, which contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, can be halved by 2050 through improved policies promoting natural farming, enhancing nitrogen use efficiency, and reducing urea dependency. The cost of environmental damage due to current urea practices is substantial, with significant water pollution costs outweighing the industry’s turnover. Modernizing the aging urea plants and transitioning to Green Urea production using Green Hydrogen by 2050 is essential for achieving these goals.

iFOREST recommends integrating the Green Urea Mission with the National Green Hydrogen Mission, setting ambitious targets for non-chemical farming, nitrogen use efficiency, and reducing urea in fertilizers. This integrated approach is expected to eliminate urea imports, reduce subsidies, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and significantly mitigate air and water pollution. The report calls for policy reforms to foster innovation and modernization in urea manufacturing, aiming to build a sustainable and resilient sector aligned with India’s Net Zero targets.