ReCLEAN Final Event

Reactive Nitrogen and its negative effects (i.e., poor air quality, water eutrophication, diversity loss) have been one of the most important environmental challenges of the last four decades in Europe and Switzerland, in addition to increasing temperatures and changes in the precipitation regime.

To test the effects of environmental policies and climate change, ReClean has congregated scientists from atmospheric, terrestrial and freshwater compartments to provide a holistic understanding of the nitrogen cycle in the Swiss ecosystems of the future. Using models and empirical experiments we have leveraged the impact of the future energy policies and agricultural practices in addition to the changing climate to draw the fate of the Swiss nitrogen cycle by 2050.

We found that following the proposed fertilizer reduction and net-zero energy transition the negative effects from climate change in atmospheric N deposition, groundwater quality (N concentration), and forest health (N uptake) would be reverted. Consequently, we strongly advocate for reducing fertilizer use along with achieving a green energy transition at Swiss and European scale, which would come along with important economic and health benefits.

For further information, we invite you to join us at the ReCLEAN Final Event, where we will present these results in greater detail. The event will take place in Birmensdorf on August 26, from 13:00 to 17:00.