Global alliance launches LEAF Initiative at COP30 to scale low-emission ammonia fertilizers

On Saturday, I was proud to represent the AEA alongside the Hydrogen Council, UNIDO, the governments of the UK and Brazil, and others at a pre-launch event for the LEAF Initiative, which aims to “support acceleration and scaling toward sector-wide adoption of low-emission ammonia-based fertilizers” (LEAF).

Today, the LEAF Initiative launched publicly at COP30, with an Action Statement that the AEA supports, identifying three priorities for collective action:

1. Accelerate large-scale investments by closing the cost gap and activating demand,
2. Boost investor confidence and reduce transaction costs through standards and market-based mechanisms,
3. Advance public-private collaboration on policy frameworks and financial instruments.

An alliance of first-mover governments, international organisations, and businesses from the food, agriculture, fertilizer, sustainable fuels, and manufacturing sectors has united at COP30 in Brazil to accelerate scale adoption of low-emission ammonia-based fertilizers through the Low-Emission Ammonia Fertilizer (LEAF) Initiative …

The LEAF Initiative is designed to operationalise global efforts advancing collaborative action, particularly the Breakthrough Agenda, as well as the COP30 Plans to Accelerate Solutions and bilateral partnerships such as the one between the governments of the United Kingdom (UK) and Brazil. These global initiatives identify core areas for collaboration, all of which are addressed by the COP30 LEAF Initiative and its dedicated Public-Private Action Statement, launched on November 8, 2025, at COP30.

Hydrogen Council press release, Global alliance launches LEAF Initiative at COP30 to scale low-emission ammonia fertilizers, November 12, 2025

The AEA is joined in this initiative with Hydrogen Council, Breakthrough Agenda, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), PepsiCo, 3Degrees Low-Emission Fertilizer Alliance, RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute), Centre for Green Markets Activation, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, International Fertilizer Association, Mission Possible Partnership, and Hydrogen Europe.

The AEA will be working with our members and global partners to drive progress on each of these priorities in 2026, starting with the aim to utilize our Ammonia Certification System (now operational, following its launch last month) as a tool to underpin the LEAF Initiative’s market-based mechanisms and instruments.

Click to read the new roadmap from the Hydrogen Council.

Supporting the launch, Hydrogen Council also published its Roadmap to Scale Low-Emission Ammonia Fertilizers, developed in collaboration with key agri-food stakeholders and McKinsey & Company. The roadmap provides insights into market fundamentals and analytics supporting the key priority actions.