Carbon auditing is the process of measuring and evaluating the greenhouse gas emissions associated with an organisation, product, service, or event. It aims to assess the carbon footprint and identify opportunities to decrease emissions or offset them, thereby reducing environmental impact and working towards carbon neutrality or other sustainability objectives.

Understanding your farm’s carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is crucial. It provides a valuable benchmark across your farming operations, enabling informed land use management and environmental planning. A more efficient farm is inherently more profitable.

Carbon auditing seeks to measure the GHG emissions produced by your enterprise and the amount sequestered into the land. Upon completion, the audit will help you:

  • Identify sources of GHG emissions
  • Determine opportunities for emission reduction and avoidance
  • Understand how and where carbon is sequestered

A carbon audit typically begins with a farm inspection to assess land type and usage. For instance, an arable farm sequesters and produces carbon differently than a livestock farm. Following the inspection, a series of farm carbon calculator tools are used to identify emission sources, carbon sequestration areas, and suggests improvements.

The agricultural sector contributes 11% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions*. With increasing scrutiny on farm emissions, understanding what your farm produces and stores has never been more critical.

Carbon units can also be created by the establishment of new woodland. There are currently grants available to help cover the cost of new woodland establishment, as well as other woodland creation based incentives. The carbon sequestered by the new woodland can then be sold on different national markets.

For further details please contact:

West Sussex – Chris Tipping, Partner at c.tipping@batchellermonkhouse.com

Surrey and Hampshire – Alex Wilks, Partner at a.wilks@batchellermonkhouse.com

East Sussex and Kent – Toby Trotman , Associate at t.trotman@batchellermonkhouse.com

Offices in BattleHaywards HeathPulborough and Tunbridge Wells.

*Agri-climate report, Gov.uk 2024