BASF, Yuntianhua renew Limus partnership, set 2030 emissions goal in China

BASF and Yunnan Yuntianhua have extended their partnership in China through 2030 to expand the use of the urease inhibitor Limus, with a goal of delivering more than 1 million metric tons of cumulative carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions reductions by the end of the decade.

Verified results from the second monitoring period of the companies’ Limus carbon project showed emissions reductions of 76,587 metric tons of CO₂e, bringing cumulative verified reductions to more than 120,000 metric tons in 2025. The cuts were achieved through the use of Yuntianhua’s stabilized urea fertilizers treated with BASF’s Limus technology, which is designed to curb nitrogen losses from urea.

The project has been independently verified under the ISO 14064 standard and is listed in the GHG CleanProjects Registry, a public database of greenhouse-gas mitigation initiatives. The companies said the results highlight the role fertilizer-efficiency technologies can play in supporting climate targets while maintaining farm productivity.

Nitrogen losses from conventional urea fertilizers remain a challenge in agriculture. Studies indicate roughly 15% of nitrogen applied as urea can be lost to the atmosphere as ammonia, contributing to air pollution and indirect greenhouse-gas emissions. Urease inhibitors such as Limus slow the conversion of urea into ammonia, improving nitrogen-use efficiency and lowering emissions intensity per unit of crop output.

In 2025, Yuntianhua conducted 31 field trials and held 421 distributor and retailer events across China to promote stabilized fertilizer practices. The companies said the outreach is aimed at accelerating adoption of nutrient-management practices aligned with China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and its “Dual Carbon” goals, which call for peak carbon emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060.

Markus Schmid, BASF’s nitrogen management business lead, said the extended partnership reflects growing farmer interest in emissions-reduction practices that do not compromise yields. Chen Jin, general manager of Yunnan Yuntianhua Agricultural Material Chain, said further field trials and training initiatives will be needed to scale adoption nationwide.

BASF said it is exploring similar carbon-project models with fertilizer producers in other countries, as agricultural input suppliers face increasing pressure to show measurable environmental benefits alongside agronomic performance.