Carbon dioxide (CO2) remains in the atmosphere up to 1,000 years. Methane stays for about a decade and nitrous Oxide for about 120 years. UNEP has been working over decades to reduce these greenhouse gas (GHGs), including training farmers to substitute toxic chemical fertilizers with an organic alternative.
Here is a member from Vietnam’s Quang Chu commune in Bac Kan province. He fertilizes his crops with biochar – agricultural waste products, such as wood chips and plant residues. This has helped soil retain nutrients, increase yields, and prevented harmful GHGs from getting into the atmosphere.