On-farm greenhouse gas accounting tools
Here is a list of tools available to assist farm businesses in estimating on-farm greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration.
This list is updated regularly. If you know of other tools that should be included, please let us know.
Note: some tools include carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fuel and electricity. Under national accounting methods, emissions from agriculture only include on-farm methane and nitrous oxide emissions (e.g. from livestock, soil disturbance and fertilisers). However, with the price of electricity and other input costs (e.g. refrigerants and fertilisers) increasing, identifying opportunities for improving energy use efficiency on farm will help reduce the impact of these extra costs.
GrainGrowers, in conjunction with the Kondinin Group, undertook a project to better understand the availability and function of a range of greenhouse gas calculators. The Carbon Calculators report compares five calculators relevant to growing cereals, pulses and oilseed.
Cropping, beef, sheep, intensive livestock, horticulture
Greenhouse in agriculture greenhouse frameworks for beef, wool and grains
Excel-based tools, useful for calculating emissions from individual enterprise activities.
- Inputs and outputs are presented on one page, with a graphical representation of emissions from each key source.
- Includes carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fuel and electricity.
MLA Quick Start Carbon Calculator enables livestock producers to quickly estimate their greenhouse gas emissions on farm.
Horticulture
Australian wine carbon calculator
An Excel-based tool, useful for estimating emissions from vineyards, wineries, and packaging and distribution. It provides general guidance on the significant emissions associated with individual products, but is not sufficient for product-level lifecycle analysis (which is required to claim 'carbon neutrality').
- Includes carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fuel and electricity.
- Queensland Horticulture Carbon Information Calculator (HortCarbon Info)
HortCarbon Info is a web tool which can be used to calculate greenhouse gas emissions from most horticultural operations.
Greenhouse gas emissions from horticulture
Information on key emissions produced by horticultural activities and options for mitigation.
Dairy
The Australian Dairy Carbon Calculator
Excel-based tool, that enables dairy farmers and advisors to calculate the impact of adopting different abatement strategies on total farm greenhouse gas emissions and explore potential management strategies, including:
- herd management
- feeding management
- soil management and farm intensification
- on-farm nitrous oxide and methane emissions
- certain pre-farm emissions from chemical, fertiliser and feed inputs
- carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fuel and electricity.
Greenhouse in agriculture dairy greenhouse framework
Excel-based tool, useful for calculating emissions from dairy farms. Inputs and outputs are presented on one page, with a graphical representation of emissions from each key source.
It includes carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fuel and electricity.
The Dairy Farm Monitor Project
This project provides a financial and production analysis of 80 dairy farms and includes an estimate of greenhouse gas emissions for each farm.
Tree and soil carbon
National carbon accounting toolbox and Full Carbon Accounting Model (FullCAM)
The Full Carbon Accounting Model (FullCAM) is the model used to construct Australia's national greenhouse gas emissions account for the land sector.
FullCAM deals with both the biological and management processes which affect carbon pools and the transfers between pools in forest and agricultural systems.
The exchanges of carbon, loss and uptake between the terrestrial biological system and the atmosphere are accounted for in the full and closed cycle mass balance model which includes all biomass, litter and soil pools.
LOOC-C carbon abatement calculator
LOOC-C is a web-based carbon sequestration estimation tool produced by the CSIRO. The tool provides estimates of what carbon increase is possible so that consideration can be made to whether a project is viable based on project size and land condition.