Carbon audits must be more than a ‘tick-box’ exercise

Regular carbon audits must be taken to a level that significantly exceeds the formality of a ‘tick-box’ exercise.

This is the clear view of advisors working with SAC Consulting in Scotland, which is part of Scotland’s Rural University College (SRUC).

SAC Consulting has reported an almost 50% increase in completed carbon audits using its carbon-calculator tool in the past six months, when compared to 2021.

This upward trend has been driven by the evolving climate agenda and pressure from the supply chain.

However, SAC Consulting representatives are warning that farmers should take the time to enter quality data to ensure it isn’t a wasted exercise.

The organisation’s senior consultant, Zach Reilly, said:

“Farms are seeing an increase in paperwork from a range of sources, so it is important that a carbon audit is not viewed as another unrewarding process a farm has to go through to access relevant funding.”

He added:

“Spending an extra five or 10 minutes to enter quality data is the best way to make the process worthwhile.

“Looking up exact fuel use, for example, can often be the difference between a useful audit and a tick-box exercise.

“A key thing to remember about the initial carbon audit is that it provides a baseline, often the added value comes from repeating the process.”

Carbon audits – resource-efficiency calculators

Aberdeenshire farmer, Ross Mitchell, has completed two carbon audits for his business.

Commenting, he said:

“Taking the time to input quality information as part of the audit process is crucial if farmers want to obtain quality results at the other end.

“I think the industry needs consistency in how it carries out audits to make sure results are comparable.”

A carbon audit is often referred to as a resource-efficiency calculator; the more efficiently a business uses its inputs, such as fertiliser or feed, the lower emissions generally are.

According to SAC Consulting, the metrics driving low emissions are often the key drivers for a business’s profitability, from calving percentage to silage quality.

Carbon audits – accurate data is key

Reilly said that accurate data is key to ensuring the audit is useful to help reduce emissions and inputs on the farm.

He further explained:

“Farmers should identify where data was estimated or guessed and see if more accurate ‘real’ data can be collected for the year ahead.

“That may mean keeping better fuel-use records, weighing livestock more regularly, or installing smart meters.

“These will all help to make the carbon auditing process more efficient and effective in the future.”

Once a farm has a baseline to work with, there are five areas that SAC Consulting has identified as being key to reducing emissions and increasing profitability.

These are: