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26 - Societal choice and communicating the European nitrogen challenge
- from Part V - European nitrogen policies and future challenges
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- By Dave S. Reay, University of Edinburgh School of Geosciences, Clare M. Howard, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Albert Bleeker, Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, Pete Higgins, University of Edinburgh, Keith Smith, University of Edinburgh, Henk Westhoek, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Trudy Rood, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Mark R. Theobald, Technical University of Madrid/Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Alberto Sanz Cobeña, Technical University of Madrid, Robert M. Rees, Scottish Agricultural College, Dominic Moran, Scottish Agricultural College, Stefan Reis, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
- Edited by Mark A. Sutton, NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK, Clare M. Howard, NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK, Jan Willem Erisman, Gilles Billen, Albert Bleeker, Peringe Grennfelt, Hans van Grinsven, Bruna Grizzetti
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- Book:
- The European Nitrogen Assessment
- Published online:
- 16 May 2011
- Print publication:
- 14 April 2011, pp 585-601
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- Chapter
- Export citation
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Summary
Executive summary
Nature of the problem
Increased public and institutional awareness of both the benefits and threats of nitrogen has the potential to greatly increase the efficacy of nitrogen policy.
Insufficient recognition of the financial, behavioural and cultural barriers to achieving an optimal nitrogen future risks policy antagonisms and failure.
Here we examine some of the key societal levers for and barriers to achieving an optimal nitrogen future in Europe, drawing lessons from the more-developed societal and policy challenge of climate change mitigation.
Key findings/state of knowledge
There is currently a very low level of public and media awareness of nitrogen impacts and policies. However, awareness is high regarding the threats and benefits of ‘carbon’ to society (e.g. energy use and enhanced climate change).
Many national climate change mitigation policies now overtly recognize the importance of societal choice, and are increasingly utilizing behavioural change strategies to achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
In achieving an optimal nitrogen future, lessons can and should be learned from existing climate change-focused communication and behavioural science (e.g. use of a ‘segmented strategy’ to reach disparate groups of stakeholders).
Key sectors where societal choice has the potential to greatly influence nitrogen use efficiency include food production, consumption and waste.