Nitrous Oxide Carbon Deals
UN Approved Carbon Credits for Its Industrial Nitrous Oxide Cuts
Adam Harrie — May 26, 2026
Nitrous oxide is roughly 270 times more potent than CO₂ as a greenhouse gas, and its atmospheric levels have risen by about 40% since 1980. The UN’s Article 6.4 Supervisory Body opened the door to addressing a significant share of that problem by adopting a methodology that allows nitric acid plants to earn Paris Agreement carbon credits for reducing N₂O emissions.
A lock-in risk tool and revised additionality standards were also adopted to maintain the credibility of the carbon credits.
As the Paris Agreement carbon market expands into hard industrial sectors, the UN shows how broadening the coverage of methodologies to high-warming gases can unlock immediate, measurable emissions reductions that net-zero commitments alone often fail to deliver.
