How to Strengthen Britain's Resilience: SNA Parliamentary Event on Nitrogen Outlines a Vision for Nitrogen Pollution

On Wednesday 15 July, the Sustainable Nitrogen Alliance and WWF UK hosted a highly successful event in the House of Commons.

Our event, "Strengthening Britain's Resilience: Rethinking nitrogen for cleaner rivers, stronger farms, thriving nature and healthier lives" was the perfect opportunity to outline a shared vision for addressing nitrogen pollution. We also launched an exciting new report on synthetic nitrogen fertilisers.

Nitrogen is an essential building block for life on Earth. Crops need it, humans need it. However, when we use nitrogen inefficiently, or overuse it and the technology that emits it, this chemical resource causes significant pollution that harms the climate, farm productivity, nature and public health.

Recent geopolitical events, including the repeated closures of the Strait of Hormuz, have demonstrated how dependent we are on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser. Our food system is too exposed to supply chain and pricing shocks from these inputs alongside the harmful impacts.

As Lt Gen Richard Nugee told our room packed full of MPs, Peers, Government and Arms-Length Body representatives: we need a strategic approach to reduce our dependency on both the import and manufacture/use of synthetic fertilisers. Resilience is contingent on mitigating this national security pressure point.

What does this mean in practice? A zero synthetic nitrogen future is not just an idealistic vision. There are tangible changes the sector can make now to reduce its dependence on synthetic nitrogen, cut food waste and transition to more sustainable diets.

With thanks to Kate Norgrove, Executive Director of Conservation, Advocacy and Policy at WWF, for warmly welcoming attendees and our line-up of excellent speakers:

🌿 Jenny Hawley (Plantlife and Sustainable Nitrogen Alliance)

🌿 Lt Gen (Ret) Richard Nugee CB CVO CBE (former Non-Exec Director for the Ministry of Defence)

🌿 John Pawsey (Farmer, Shimpling Park Farm, Suffolk)

🌿 Baroness Kathy Willis of Summerton

🌿 Fleur Anderson MP (Chair of the Environment All-Party Parliamentary Group)

🌿Lucy Lee (WWF UK Chief Adviser), who closed the event with a screening of a short film from WWF to demonstrate a systems approach on the ground – the Wholescape approach – which is directly relevant to tackling nitrogen pollution.