Our carbon footprint 2015
Measuring the amount of carbon emitted by a person, business, organisation or
country is what is called a 'carbon footprint'. For us we consider it very important to
monitor what our carbon footprint is every year, and how it changes.
So what's recorded?
We look at all our inputs to the business over the past 12 months to work out our
carbon emissions. This includes:
• Fuels – like diesel and petrol, as well as electricity and all business travel
• Materials – embodied energy in materials like wood, plastics and metals
• Fertility – the biological emissions from processes including composting and
nitrogen fixation
• Distribution – fuel used to distribute produce to customers (food miles)
• Waste – how much waste is produced and the emissions that creates
Then the other part is the carbon sinks on the farm that absorb atmospheric carbon
every year. These include:
• Woodland
• Hedges
• Uncultivated grassy areas
• Orchards
• Soils
How do you calculate the numbers?
We use the online tool Farm Carbon Calculator, which
allows the user to enter data for their own farm and it
works out the carbon emissions and the carbon
sequestered (absorbed) by biomass and soils.
The online Calculator looks like this:
Results for 2015 (most recent calculation)
The results from the Farm Carbon Calculator show how much Carbon Dioxide
equivalent (CO2 e) greenhouse gases Scilly Organics has produced, and what
proportion of the emissions each section represents. It also shows how much Carbon
Dioxide (CO2) has been sequestered.
This means that the biomass and soils on the farm absorbed nearly 12 tonnes of CO 2,
whilst the emissions from other inputs measured less than 2.5 tonnes of CO 2 e.
Fuel use and distribution of food make up the largest emissions sources, with a smaller
amount coming from nitrous oxide releases from fertility sources, and embodied
emissions in capital items (polytunnels and glasshouse) and materials used (cement,
wood, plastics, etc).
However the the woodland and hedges on the farm are absorbing a lot of CO 2, which is
far outweighing all the emissions that are created in running the business.
To put that plainly, every time you vegetables from Scilly Organics you're supporting a
system that is contributing to reducing atmospheric carbon levels. If every farm were
doing that then we would be making a serious positive impact on climate change.
So how does this compare to other years?
Carbon emissions
2010
2011
2012
2013
2015
Fuel
Materials
Capital items
Fertility
Waste
Distribution
1.466
0.338
1.56
0.371
0.169
1.122
0.196
0.174
1.983
0.212
0.000
0.496
0.495
0.066
1.256
0.321
0.240
0.198
-0.159
0.241
1.027
0.280
0.219
0.279
-0.149
0.651
Total
2.169
3.227
3.252
2.097
2.307
2010
2011
2012
2013
2015
Orchard
Woodland and hedgerows
Field margins
Soils
0.132
14.060
0.746
0.165
9.880
0.237
20.518
0.207
2.036
0.111
8.167
0.207
14.732
0.111
57.064
0.207
24.128
0.111
-12.709
Total
14.938
30.800
10.521
72.114
11.737
Carbon balance
-12.769
-27.573
-7.269
-70.017
-9.430
Carbon sequestration
Notes
1. Figures are expressed in tonnes of CO2 equivalent (t CO2e)
2. Capital items and waste could not be measured until 2012
3. SOM was first measured in 2010, therefore first change was recorded in 2011
Since we started recording in 2010, total emissions have remained fairly constant.
There is some variability because, for instance, we have done some building work that
year, or a little more waste may be created. However long term fuel use is showing a
decline, linked to better efficiency, planned usage and a smaller tractor. Distribution
increased this year, due to shipping of large bulky items (e.g. new tractor), though
emissions from distribution of food items showed little change.
Carbon sequestration increased in the woodland due to the acquisition of a new area
of short rotation coppice woodland. This will be managed carefully for firewood
production. However soil organic matter showed a slight decrease, which is an area of
concern. We believe this was due to untimely cultivations on certain fields, which
resulted in the burning up of organic matter. Whilst it's not a massive problem we will
be addressing the issue with management changes next year.
Aims for 2015
The good part of this calculation is that allows you to identify which parts of the
business are creating emissions and which assets are absorbing the most carbon. It
therefore focuses you on how to improve. Our aims for this year are:
•
•
•
•
•
Reduce fuel use further
Plant more hedges
Raise organic matter levels in soils
Measure organic matter levels in uncultivated areas of the farm
Reduce waste levels and increase recycling rates
Written by Jonathan Smith. 1St December 2016.