According to the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – IPCC) the mean Earth temperature in the previous century increased of 0,6 oC. Climate is a fundamental element of the nature resources and an important element of a sustainable development. The agriculture and water resources are substantially connected with the climate. Climatic changes in various regions caused by global warming can influence the food production, the occurrence of pests, cultivable plants and the cost of production.

The IPCC reports that the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere increased from 280 ppm (in the period of 1000-1750) to 368 ppm in 2000 (the increase of 31±4%), CH4 from 700 ppb (for the period of 1000-1750) to 1750 ppb in 2000 (the increase of 15l± 25%) and N2O from 270 ppb (in the period of 1000-1750) to 316 ppb in 2000 (the increase of 17±5%).

We still do not know how much our climate is sensitive to anthropogenic factors, however we know that the emission of greenhouse gasses, including the areas of agricultural activity, makes the Earth temperature increase. Therefore, to slow down the climate changes the emission of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere should be reduced, first of all from the areas of agricultural activity.

The ammonia, which 90-95% of total emission in Europe comes from agricultural activity, is produced in enormous amounts as a result of bacterial and enzymatic processes occurring in animal excrements. The ammonia together with nitrate oxides and sulphur dioxide, coming mainly from the combustion of fuels, undertakes chemical transformations, causing soil and water acidification and indirectly has negative impact on the health of human, animals, forests and plants.

The methane which creates in the alimentary canal of animals and in the conditions of anaerobic decay of excrements constitutes 19% of the global amount of methane emitted into the atmosphere. The methane, beside the carbon dioxide is a gas holding a considerable share in the increase of the greenhouse effect on the Earth. At the same time it plays one of the main roles in the catalytic destruction of the ozone in stratosphere, contributing to creation of the ozone hole.

Therefore, the fundamental aim of the common research and development activities of the Research Net ‘AGROGAS’, which is financed from donations, is to determine the possibilities of reduction the emission of ammonia and greenhouse gasses from the agriculture.

The main objective will be gained by:

1. reduction of the emission of ammonia and greenhouse gasses from the systems of the maintenance of farm animals and by the management of animal excrements in Poland (realised by IBMER in Warsaw).
2. reduction of the emission of greenhouse gasses from the soils used by agriculture (realised by IUNG-PIB in Pulawy and IA PAN in Lublin).