# Fungicides: Emissions

Why fungicides carry less carbon than herbicides

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fungicides/emissions/

What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint per tonne, split by lifecycle phase (feedstock, production, movement, use, end of life), the global total, other environmental impacts, levers and low-carbon routes, India's position, and where the investment opportunity lies. Emission intensity 15.9 kg CO2e per kg a.i. range lower for sulphur and copper, higher for multistep fluorinated SDHIs (indicative) · 14.99 kg fossil CO2, 0.029 kg CH4 and 0.00028 kg N2O per kg a.i., converted with AR5 GWPs Global emissions per year 14.0 Mt CO2e per year 2022 · about 0.9 Mt a.i. x 15.9 kg CO2e/kg (indicative; overstates sulphur and copper products)

Per kg of fungicide active ingredient, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: Field to Market impact factors, based on Audsley et al. (2009) and Green (1987). Global total: derived (indicative).

#### Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
 Feedstock 41% Production / process 53% Movement 6%

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Feedstock** | about 6.5 kg CO2e per kg a.i. (indicative) | 41% | metal salts (manganese, zinc, copper refining), CS2, chlorinated and fluorinated intermediates |  | indicative split |
| **Production / process** | about 8.5 kg CO2e per kg a.i. (indicative) | 53% | drying and milling of mancozeb, batch synthesis of single-site products, solvent recovery, coal steam |  | indicative split |
| **Movement** | about 1 kg CO2e per kg a.i. (indicative) | 6% | container shipping and distribution |  | indicative |
| **Use** | outside cradle-to-gate | – | tractor or sprayer fuel, many passes in wet seasons | protecting yield avoids emissions from extra land; the net effect is crop-specific | indicative |
| **End of life** | small | – | degradation; copper stays in soil | some fluorinated fungicides degrade to trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in water (indicative) | indicative |

#### Other environmental impacts

Copper build-up in vineyard and orchard soils, ETU from mancozeb, endocrine effects of some triazoles, TFA from fluorinated actives, and resistance.

#### Levers to cut emissions

- Disease forecasting and variable-rate spraying
- Resistant crop varieties
- Biofungicides (Bacillus, Trichoderma)
- Cleaner energy for drying and synthesis

#### India

India's mancozeb and copper makers run batch plants on coal steam and grid power; UPL publishes group emission targets in its sustainability reporting (indicative).
 Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.

#### Low-carbon routes

| Route | Intensity | Cost premium | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Biological fungicides and plant defence inducers** | not published | moderate | commercial in fruit and vegetables; small share of fungicide value (indicative) | indicative |
| **Disease-resistant varieties (e.g. rust-tolerant soybean, late-blight-resistant potato)** | removes sprays | seed premium | commercial in some markets; gene-edited lines in trials (indicative) | indicative |

 For a climate investor Fungicides are needed for food security, so the opportunity is in using less: forecasting, precision application, resistant varieties and biologicals. In India, mancozeb makers face long-term regulatory risk outside the EU too. What has to be true: biologicals that work reliably in wet, high-pressure seasons.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fungicides/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fungicides/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fungicides/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fungicides/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fungicides/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fungicides/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fungicides/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fungicides/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fungicides/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fungicides/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fungicides/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fungicides/links/index.md)