According to the report: “The Future of Food and Farming:Challenges and choices for global sustainability” Agriculture itself is estimated to contribute 12–14% of greenhouse gas emissions, including those associated with fertiliser production; the figure rises to 30% or more when costs beyond the farm gate and especially land conversion are added. Moreover, agriculture contributes a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gases with high impact on warming: approximately 47% and 58% of total CH4and N2O emissions respectively. Low- and middle-income countries are currently responsible for about three-quarters of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions with their proportionate share increasing…The single most important contribution of agriculture to greenhouse gas emissions is through the production and application of nitrogen fertilizers, and the second most significant is from livestock production through enteric fermentation and manure.

In Aquaponics there is no land to fertilize, there are no tractors or other farm equipment that require CO2 emissions. Aquaponics also does not need to be produced where there is an environment to grow plants in soil because the system is a closed loop where there is no wasted water and no soil is needed. The major consideration with Aquaponics is climate control inside the greenhouse. Heating the greenhouse is the main cost during the winter months however the emissions from clean burning wood pellet or grass pellet stoves are carbon neutral and renewable. In Aquaponics food can be produced with no greenhouse emissions and in fact eliminate emissions from industrialized farming through the use of sustainable energy like solar and renewable fuels.