Carbon footprint of global cotton production

Cotton constitutes one-quarter of the global fiber market. With growing global attention to the carbon footprint and net-zero pathways of the fashion and textile industries, it is essential to quantify the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, or carbon footprint, of cotton production and develop effective emission reduction strategies. Based on life-cycle assessment, we estimate that global GHG emissions from cotton production in 2020 amounted to approximately 63 Mt CO 2 e, with substantial regional variability observed. Emissions intensity ranged from 0.3 to 1.4 t CO 2 e per ton of cotton produced (average at 0.9 t CO 2 e per ton). Across the countries evaluated, India has the most GHG emissions and, hence, the largest reduction potential, highlighting the need for prioritized localized strategies in that region. Nitrogen (N) fertilizer is identified as the main driver of cotton’s carbon footprint, due to direct N 2 O emissions and indirect GHG emissions from production. In some regions, phosphorus ( P 2 O 5 ) fertilizer and diesel use are also important sources of emissions. Scenario analysis indicates that cotton’s carbon footprint can be reduced by ∼ 37% through improving N use efficiency and increasing manure application, and an additional ∼ 12% reduction is possible by powering farm equipment with renewable energy. Our study provides important information for decision makers regarding how to make global cotton production more sustainable and climate friendly. • We assessed the carbon footprint of cotton in 10 countries worldwide, representing 90% of global production. • The carbon emissions intensity of global cotton production ranges from 0.3 to 1.4 kg CO 2 e per kg. • Globally, the primary driver of emissions from cotton production is nitrogen fertilizer, which contributes about 66% of global emissions. • Improving nitrogen use efficiency and increasing manure use has the potential to cut cotton’s global carbon footprint by 37.4%, and the substitution of renewable energy further reduces it by 12.1%.