Losses and efficiencies of phosphorus on a national level – A comparison of European substance flow analyses

• The blueprint allows for a systematic comparison of national phosphorus systems.
• Phosphorus losses, use efficiencies and recycling differ between countries.
• The potential of phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge differs between countries.
• Monitoring is needed in order to reduce uncertainties and increase comparability.

The sustainable management of phosphorus (P), an essential element for life, is currently discussed intensively in research and policy. In order to provide a data basis for national P strategies, various substance flow analyses (SFA) of P on a national level have been published in recent years. The quantification of flows and stocks helps to identify hot-spots and potentials for sustainable measures within the particular country analysed. However, the national SFAs that have been conducted so far differ with regard to their system definitions, i.e. the processes, flows and stocks identified. This makes comparisons between countries difficult, hinders the transnational transfer of lessons learnt and hampers supranational policy efforts. Therefore, we (i) develop a standardised visualisation format, i.e. a blueprint, which allows for transnational comparability and facilitates future national SFAs of P; (ii) present a systematic comparative analysis of seven European SFAs (Austria, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) using fluxes, indicators and cluster analysis; and (iii) to exemplarily show the added value of a linkage between material flow analysis and social system analysis. Our results show regional disparities with regard to losses and efficiencies of current national P use and to the potential of secondary P to increase national self-sufficiency. The countries analysed can be categorised in three clusters providing a first classification according to selected variables comprising key flows and indicators. By using the current discussion on the application of sewage sludge on agricultural land in Germany as an example, we show the added value of the integration of flow and governance analyses.