Getting started with a carbon calculator.
How to complete a carbon calculation
Depending on which carbon calculator you decide to use, will depend on how you go about making the calculations. However, in general, carbon calculators work in a similar way to each other.
You need to firstly collate as much data from your farm as possible. This is usually 12 months’ worth of inputs and outputs. There are a list of items in the carbon caculator to complete the calculations. Any items which are shared between the farm and the household should be calculated as a percentage where possible.
Adding all this data is done on the carbon calculator’s website. However, it can be useful to create a spreadsheet beforehand to make filling in the sections easier. Some calculators, such as Farm Carbon Calculator, provide such a spreadsheet. This will help you to complete the input required for the calculator.
All items of data that need to be inputted into the calculator will fit into certain categories. These categories are things like fuels (which will include all fuel usage on the farm as well as that used by contractors, electricity, transport etc); crops (everything used to grow your crops including machinery use and fertilisers etc); livestock (all emissions relating to livestock and the management of them). There can be 10 or more categories and each one can include a lot of detail.
Once you have completed your carbon calculator inputs, you will receive your data outputs. This varies between calculators but is in the form of carbon dioxide equivalent. This allows you to compare the impact of all greenhouse gas emissions on your farm on the basis of their global warming potential. Many calculators present the results in a table format as well as graphs and charts to make visualising the data easier.
You have the report, now what?
Once all your data is in your chosen carbon calculator, you can usually determine areas for improvement. This can be done by ‘playing around’ with the calculator you have created. You could edit the information you have provided and see what the outcomes would be if this was implemented in real life.
Adding in additional woodland, for example, would help to sequester carbon, reducing your carbon footprint. Making small changes such as switching from plastic bags to paper bags would also change the carbon dioxide equivalent produced on your farm.
Using a carbon calculator in this way helps you to make long-term future goals, which aren’t just about improving the environment. They are also about improving the efficiency on your farm. This will make your farm more resilient to change and increase your profitability. It’s also a potentially valuable marketing tool as consumers look to products with lower environmental impacts.
Use a carbon calculator to keep track of your carbon emissions and the impact that your farm is having on the environment. Even small changes can be consequential and can help to improve your environmental impact.
With the UK government aiming for net zero by 2050, every change that you make on your farm can contribute towards that goal. Farmers can receive payment for carbon credits. Each tonne of sequestered carbon counts as one carbon credit in the UK. The price awarded for these units fluctuates but has been as high as £50 in 2021.
How often should you make carbon calculations?
Take carbon calculations as often as you like, however, once a year gives you an idea of how things are going. This allows you to measure how you are progressing with your carbon reduction from year to year.
Using your carbon calculator for the first time will give you a baseline. From there you can make informed decisions and changes. The first step to making these changes and managing them is being able to measure your carbon.
Using a carbon calculator helps you to plan the future of your farm and understand where carbon emissions fit into that plan.
Who can assist you in measuring and identifying next steps?
Some companies that produce the carbon calculators you can use will offer support and advice. In the case of Farm Carbon Calculator by farmcarbontoolkit.org.uk, they offer a consultancy service. They help you make sense of your calculations and advise you on your farming practices in relation to carbon emissions. In the results section of the report generated by the calculator, there are links to detailed advice and resources for farmers to follow. Similar features are also on some of the other carbon calculators.
Agricultural consultants (such as SAC Consulting) often use calculators like Agrecalc when helping to manage your farm.
In Scotland, grants are available to farms from the Farm Advisory Service to help pay for carbon auditing. These auditors start by using a carbon calculator to determine your farm’s carbon emissions. Grants are also available in Scotland from the Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme to help pay for capital equipment that will reduce emissions.
In summary, using a carbon calculator will help you understand the carbon footprint of your farm. It also helps to understand how to improve it: not only for the benefit of the environment, but also for the profitability of your farm.
Using a carbon calculator for the first time can be a daunting task. Most calculators display step-by-step guidance on how to fill in the fields required by the calculator. Once complete for the first time, subsequent inputs will be a lot quicker and a lot easier. See our blog about the top UK carbon calculators.
To find out more about how AgriWebb can help you fulfil your sustainability goals, please contact us.
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