BASF and Yuntianhua extend Limus® partnership through 2030
- Ambitious target to achieve more than 1,000,000 tons of cumulative CO₂e emissions reductions in China by 2030 through urease inhibitor Limus®
- Cumulative verified emissions reductions from both monitoring periods of the Limus carbon project have exceeded 120,000 tons CO2e in 2025
- Collaboration supports farmer adoption of practices aligned with China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and Dual Carbon Goals
Shanghai, China – February 4, 2026 – BASF and Yunnan Yuntianhua Co., Ltd., a China-based fertilizer manufacturer, received verified results from an independent auditor of its second monitoring period of the Limus® carbon project in China. A total of 76,587 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions (CO2e) have been reduced^, bringing the cumulative total to over 120,000 tons of CO₂e reduced in 2025. This was achieved by using Yuntianhua’s stabilized urea fertilizer containing BASF's urease inhibitor Limus.
In 2025, Yuntianhua conducted 31 field trials and hosted 421 distributor and retailer events to demonstrate how fertilizer producers play a vital role in advancing climate-smart agriculture. Critically, around 15 percent of nitrogen in urea fertilizer is lost to the atmosphere as ammonia1, causing a deterioration in air quality and biodiversity. The increase in CO2e reductions during the second monitoring period demonstrates growing interest and acceleration of climate-smart agriculture initiatives that are commercially viable and beneficial to the planet.
“BASF is pleased to extend its collaboration with Yuntianhua through 2030. Via two monitoring periods, we effectively demonstrated how farmers can reduce greenhouse-gas emissions without compromising field performance by using BASF’s innovative Limus technology,” said Markus Schmid, Nitrogen Management business lead at BASF. “We are very pleased that through this strong collaboration with YTH, by 2030 we will enable farmers to reduce a cumulative total of over 1 million tons of CO2e and play our part in advancing sustainable agriculture.”
“We are very proud to partner with BASF and introduce advanced solutions like Limus to farmers across China. As declared in China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and Dual Carbon Goals, societal changes toward sustainable agriculture can only take place when industry, farmers, and the scientific community come together to introduce innovations which have measurable benefits, are commercially viable and provide tangible results,” said Mr. Chen Jin, General Manager of Yunnan Yuntianhua Agricultural Material Chain Co., Ltd. “Our commitment to press on with this climate-smart agriculture initiative with BASF through to 2030 will require more field trials and educational initiatives, and we are confident this acceleration will help transform the fertilization industry and serve our national strategic ambitions.”
The project has been verified by an independent auditor according to the international ISO 14064 standard. The project is listed in the GHG CleanProjects® Registry, a public database of projects designed to reduce or remove greenhouse gases using the ISO 14064 standard for greenhouse gas inventory and reporting. BASF is also exploring similar opportunities with fertilizer manufacturers in other countries.
1Pan et al. 2016: Ammonia volatilization from synthetic fertilizers and its mitigation strategies: A global synthesis, Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 232, 283–289
^Reduction of CO2e is measured using Limus treated fertilizer versus untreated fertilizer in farmed conditions
About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division
Everything we do, we do for the love of farming. Farming is fundamental to provide enough healthy and affordable food for a rapidly growing population, while reducing environmental impacts. That’s why we are working with partners and experts to integrate sustainability criteria into all business decisions. With €919 million in 2024, we invest in a strong R&D pipeline, combining innovative thinking with practical action in the field. Our solutions are purpose-designed for different crop systems. Connecting seeds and traits, crop protection products, digital tools and sustainability approaches, to help deliver the best possible outcomes for farmers, growers and our other stakeholders along the value chain. With teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we do everything in our power to build a sustainable future for agriculture. In 2024, our division generated sales of €9.8 billion. For more information, please visit BASF Agricultural Solutions | Global or our social media channels.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €65.3 billion in 2024. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.
