10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health 2025

Hailong Li Chair Professor, School of Energy Science & Technology, Central South University Hanane Mourchid Chief Sustainability & Innovation Officer, Strategic Committee Member, OCP Group Zequn Yang Associate Professor, School of Energy Science & Technology, Central South University Modern agriculture depends on ammonia-based fertilizers, but conventional ammonia synthesis consumes up to 2% of global energy and generates more emissions than any other chemical process.12 Green ammonia production – synthesizing ammonia sustainably using renewable energy – is addressing this environmental burden through cleaner methods that can produce ammonia with much-reduced fossil fuel use. By replacing fossil inputs in fertilizer, industrial feedstocks and transport fuels, green ammonia technologies help reduce pressure on planetary boundaries related to climate change, biogeochemical flows and ocean acidification. All ammonia production methods rely on nitrogen fixation, which is the chemical process of converting dinitrogen (N2) from the air into more accessible forms, such as ammonia (NH3). The traditional approach, called the Haber-Bosch process, uses heat, high pressure and methane-derived hydrogen to convert nitrogen. Haber-Bosch is heavily fossil- fuelled, highly energy-intensive and emits large quantities of CO2. Green ammonia production uses cleaner methods to reduce energy demands and emissions. Some green approaches retain the Haber-Bosch process but replace fossil-based hydrogen with green hydrogen – produced by splitting water with renewable electricity.13 Others bypass Haber-Bosch entirely, using electricity, sunlight or microbes to convert nitrogen directly. These emerging methods are known as “green nitrogen fixation”,14 and they combine energy and hydrogen inputs within a single step – offering a more streamlined, low-emission route to ammonia. Green ammonia systems are currently being piloted in more than 15 countries, including Morocco, Chile, Japan and Australia.15 Ports are evaluating how to store and deliver ammonia as a clean marine fuel, and the first ammonia-powered engines are now undergoing operational testing in real-world environments.16,17 Additional projects are being developed to enable on-site fertilizer production in regions with intermittent power or limited infrastructure, including parts of Africa and rural India.18,19 Widespread deployment of green ammonia could bring climate benefits along with economic and social opportunities. Environmentally, green ammonia technologies can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating fossil fuel use in hydrogen production and high-temperature synthesis. Economically, green ammonia could drive investment in electrolysers, storage systems and retrofitted plants – creating jobs across hydrogen production, facilities upgrades and transport logistics. Still, high upfront costs and the need for port, transport, bioproduction and safety infrastructure remain significant barriers, especially outside major export hubs. Local green ammonia production using desalinated water and renewables could reduce price volatility and improve fertilizer access in countries currently dependent on imported ammonia. If deployed strategically, green ammonia could do more than decarbonize existing supply chains – it could shift where and how fertilizer and energy are produced, expanding access, strengthening regional self-reliance and reducing dependence on fossil-based imports. Green ammonia could drive investment in electrolysers, storage systems and retrofitted plants – creating jobs across hydrogen production, facilities upgrades and transport logistics. 10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health 11