How does the Farm Carbon Calculator work?
Watch our video for an overview about how the carbon calculator tool works and how it can help your farm.
FAQs
General
- Who is this for?
The Calculator is one of a handful of tools designed to be used primarily by farmers and growers themselves for free but also to equip researchers, and agricultural or consulting professionals to deliver carbon footprints under licence. All users benefit from the same access to high quality carbon footprinting reports for use on the farm, within supply chains, or corporate reporting.
Farmers will find the Calculator works for all farming systems on any scale, soil type or place in the UK.
- What guidance is available to help me?
We know carbon footprints can be daunting - especially if you have not created one before.
Our resources are regularly updated and linked in the menu at the top of the screen. Here you will find:
- A user guide - a great manual for first time users.
- A guide to help you collect the required farm information
- Specific information where relevant for farmers in different parts of the UK
- More advanced material relating to livestock emissions and product footprints and more
For those who would rather speak to us we are happy to take queries and offer assistance.
For more in-depth assistance our expert advisors regularly complete footprints for farmers and projects. Get in touch and read more on our services page.
For those who would rather speak to us we are happy to take queries and offer assistance.
Completing a report can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours on average. This varies depending on how complex your business is and how organised your records are. Finding the required find information is initially the most time consuming task but users report that footprinting becomes quicker with practice.
- Can I complete a Carbon Audit for the Whole Farm Plan Scheme in Scotland?
✅ Yes you can, the calculator meets the required PAS 2050 standards and thousands are already using this tool to create free carbon footprints that meet the requirements of the Carbon Audit as set out under the Whole Farm Plan Scheme Guidance. Download the guide below for guidance just for you under this scheme.
- What standards do you align to?
✅ We comply with the following:
- PAS 2050:2011 where applicable
- IPCC 2019 guidance
📚 We are working toward full accreditation against the following:
- GHGP,
- LSRG (draft)
- SBTi FLAG
All sections of the Calculator comply with the latest IPCC guidance (currently IPCC 2019). To be compliant IPCC compliant options for the treatment of waste and inventory items need to be selected on each carbon footprint report.
We take certification seriously and are annually reviewed by the Carbon Trust against GHG protocol standards including draft WRI LSRG - the Land sector removals guidance, and SBTi FLAG - the Forestry Land and Agriculture Guidance. We seek verification against these standards in 2025 with final outstanding developments listed below.
- A land use tracking metric - released summer 2025 with land occupation indicated by product
- Separate reporting of biogenic and non-biogenic emissions - in place for emissions relating to livestock and land use change so far
- Inclusion of leased assets
- Data validation checks of report start and end dates.
Contact us if you need confirmation or updates on the standards we align to in relation to your work or use of our system.
- Is my data secure?
We recommend you take basic steps to ensure a high level of security anywhere you enter your farm business information. Here at Farm Carbon Calculator we are also doing our part. Choose a strong password when registering your account and set up two-factor authentication from your dashboard for an extra layer of security. Our models allow us to reproduce and benchmark the data you enter but only anonymously as part of a group.
We employ regular internal and external testing to ensure our website, systems and servers are regarded as highly secure in line with industry best practice. Our team will never contact you to ask for your password - do not reveal this information to anyone. If you suspect unauthorised usage of your account or any other breaches of security you must let us know so that we can take action to protect your data and to help prevent further breaches. For details of how we handle your data and of our required response in the unlikely event of a data breach see our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.
- What can I do with my report?
Reports are there to be used - many find that supply chains, farming groups and agricultural or environmental projects are increasingly looking for carbon footprints from farmers. We hope you will also find ways to reduce or change your carbon footprint in ways that boost resilience on your farm. Be sure to look at your report alongside the Toolkit on our sister website Farm Carbon Toolkit.
You can download your report from the results page in three formats: PDF, CSV and JSON. Your PDF is easily shared and mirrors the on-screen summary. The CSV summarises in a spreadsheet your key report information. The JSON is a machine-readable data format which allows you to retrieve all the data you entered alongside the emissions calculated in your report.
You can lock, share, compare and benchmark your reports from this same results summary page. Locking reports ensures they cannot later be amended or changed. Shared reports gives you a link for view-only access so you can show any other logged-in user - which might be a friend, advisor, or another farmer. Compare lets you see the results of up to 5 of your reports alongside each other so you can see changes. Benchmark is a tab on the results page which compares your report to our anonymous benchmarking dataset developed over time. You can filter and change this to see how you compare to other farms of different descriptions.
- Someone created a report for me - where can I find it?
You may have, in the past, received a footprint from our team of Farm Carbon Advisors or any of the many advisory companies, or as part of the projects we are engaged in. You should have received a copy of your report at the time it was made and an account. If this didn’t happen however get in touch with customer services. Let us know your name, the farm name, the company or advisor who created your report, or what project it was part of. We will then look to make contact with the relevant advisor to repatriate your report to you.
- Can I create reports for multiple farms or projects?
✅ Yes there is no limit on the number of reports you can create. You may start by creating a whole farm footprint - but after that you can create scenario reports which would show how footprint could have looked had you farmed differently, or get a headstart on next years’ footprint. Once you have multiple reports in your account like this, click compare on your dashboard to visualise the differences between them.
When advisors use our system in a professional capacity you typically are charged according to your licence for each whole farm report created each year or as otherwise specified in your particular licence.
To keep your dashboard neat you can create a shared folder and hold related reports organised together.
Livestock
- How are livestock emissions calculated?
All livestock on the farm can be added into your report. You will select what kind of animal it is, how many were on the farm during your reporting period as an average, and what happened to their manures. With these few data points we can estimate emissions.
The more information you add on top of this, the better our calculation. We encourage you to add as much information as possible.
- Work out your average number in detail, and the average weight for your animals over the period too. This means we don’t use UK averages.
- Make sure the detail in how manures are stored is reflected in your report, and whether they are spread at all too where relevant. Spreading is added after the livestock in the Crops tab.
- Indicate any information you have about the animals’ diet - either a known average dry matter intake for the animals over the reporting period, or a specific breakdown of their diet. This means the carbon result reflects your farm instead of averages for the UK.
Total livestock emissions are made up of three components: enteric methane released by the animals, methane from manure, and nitrous oxide release from the manure. How manures are managed and ruminant animals’ diets can affect these components.
Enteric emissions are closely related to the quantity and quality of animal feed, and the higher the digestibility of the feed consumed, the lower the enteric emissions - because this makes more energy available for the animal from the feed. ℹ️ Read more
The manure emissions of all animals depends on the quantity - determined by an animal’s size - and the way it is stored and applied. For example, liquid slurry systems emit high levels of methane because of the highly anaerobic conditions, but these emissions can be controlled by covering the slurry and preventing volatilisation during storage. During application, broadcast slurry more is liable to leach and run off when compared to broadcast farm yard manure, but this can be mitigated by slurry injection for example. ℹ️ Read more
Did the livestock section change?
Yes, in May 2025 we expanded and improved our livestock calculation methodology so that you have more control over your footprint and because reliance on national averages could be over- or underestimating your emissions.
You can ‘migrate’ older reports’ livestock section to the new format if you choose to. You can read more about how this update has changed the livestock emissions calculations system and how it may affect your reports in our update note.
- How does changing my cattle or sheep’s diet affect emissions?
The digestibility and the quantity of food consumed by animals are directly related to their enteric emissions. More digestible feeds provide more energy for the animal and leave less energy available for conversion into enteric methane. For each animal in the Calculator there is a set enteric rate at which they emit methane based on the UK’s GHG inventory.
For cattle and sheep tailor this to your farm by entering the daily dry matter intake of your animals. You can also select the diet the animals eat. Both of these steps allow you to tailor the enteric emissions that will be produced to your system, rather than relying on a UK average. ℹ️ Read more.
- What if other livestock graze my land, or my livestock graze someone else’s land?
The simple answer here is that if you are a farmer, only account for livestock, poultry or any animal whilst they are grazing your land. If your livestock are on another farmers’ land by lease agreement, or other arrangement then whilst they are grazing that land, they will be in that other farmers’ report.
You’ll tailor this by altering the number of weeks for your livestock entries, or by altering the average number over the year appropriately. Use the livestock wizard if this helps - or ask us.
If you lease out some land for grazing then include the other farmers’ animals in your report, for the period they are on your land or in a leased barn. Include an estimate for any purchased feed or bedding too - though we understand you may not know the detail.
This is quite a complex topic in carbon accounting, especially for large farming enterprises, estates, long-term agreements, and there are lots of considerations above what is written here. If your situation is more complicated, or you think this sounds wrong - or you just want to check, we require that you ask us for advice. More extensive written guidance is being developed at present (Aug 2025) to assist you.
For farmers in Scotland completing Carbon Audits the Scottish Government issued specific guidance around common or shared grazing land and how this is included within reports. Their guidance should take precedence over what is said here, and is found in our related guide.
Methodology
- What emissions factors are used?
All emissions factors used can be traced back to their original source within our extensive references list. The calculator contains over 7000 emissions items selectable for any report and care is needed in looking up individual factors. Read our methodology for a condensed overview of the sources, emissions factors, and calculations used in any report.
- How confident are you in the results?
When you browse the full results tab of your report, alongside each entry you made is a confidence level ranging from 1 - low to 3 - high.
This confidence level varies within reports because of the state of research, variability in user data entry, and inherent variability in biological systems reflected within farming activities and purchases.
Diesel or electricity are high confidence for instance - you know how much you've used, the state of research into these items is high, and the emissions calculation is routine and of a high confidence. Conversely, emissions from compost, or sequestration in hedgerows are difficult to be accurate with because they are biological, sometimes hard to measure accurately, and also inherently variable.
We also present a structured assessment of how our methodology implements the emissions factors found in our references. You will see this on our references page called the ‘Data Quality Matrix’ alongside explanatory guidance. This information is presented to aid transparency around the results in your report. If you need help interpreting these data quality scores, or our confidence levels and what they mean for you make sure you get in touch.
- How often is the methodology updated?
The Farm Carbon Calculator is updated continually on an annual cycle with major and minor updates happening at least twice a year, and sometimes more often. Upon update we always publish a list of changes, alongside a revised methodology. All documentation can be found on our Resources page.
When any emissions or sequestration factors are updated in the Calculator, there will be a change in the carbon footprint of those particular items for new reports. Often these are relatively small changes and are due to new research or changing scientific understanding of emissions processes and agriculture. As a newly developing practice, the science is still catching up with the demands of carbon footprinting and further changes are expected.
We occasionally make mistakes and correct these, which can change results in reports. Where this is the case these changes are listed on our corrections page.
- How do you calculate emissions from crops?
Crops are included in reports based on which crops are harvested, sprayed off or foraged within the period of your report, and the emissions of these crops are calculated based on crop residues rather than specific cultivation practices. You indicate how above-ground residues of crops were treated when you enter the crop into the calculator and we calculate the nitrogen released during decomposition for these crops.
The methodology follows the IPCC 2019 guidelines and incorporates emission factors specific to the UK, derived from the UK GHG Inventory and GHG protocol agricultural guidance. This ensures that calculations reflect both international standards and UK-specific data.
The more accurately you describe a crop the more accurate the resulting emissions footprint will be. If you don’t know, or can’t remember how residues were managed for a crop then choose the default option which is a sensible UK average.
For perennial crops (such as soft fruits, top fruits, biomass crops, and green manures), the calculator includes the crop’s renewal rate, or the frequency at which plants are replaced. This avoids overestimating residues and better represents the actual emissions in any given report period. If you renew these crops at a different rate, you may just have to choose the closest renewal rate as you can.
Certain crops like Christmas tree crops are included just so you can track everything you grow but do not have associated emissions calculations. Where this is the case it is indicated during data entry.
- How do you calculate emissions from grasslands or pasture?
Pasture is not considered to create emissions or sequester carbon in the calculator if it is permanent - understood as having been in a steady state for over 20 years. This ensures the calculator is aligned with IPCC guidance for Tier 1 models. For grasslands like this we do not know therefore whether emissions or sequestration is happening - unless we were to begin asking for even more detailed information about these areas of your farm.
If you think your pasture is sequestering, building carbon, or is worsening then we recommend that you undertake soil organic carbon or soil organic matter tests. With at least two points in time entered into the Sequestration section of the calculator you will receive a measured figure for emissions or sequestration on these areas.
Where grasslands are temporary, in place for a couple of years, or renewed every 10 years or less, we can estimate the emissions produced - and this can be entered under the Crops section as below, indicating how residues were managed. You can indicate their purpose - as a green manure, a forage crop, or cash crop producing bailed straw or silage.
If your pasture or grasslands are managed under SFI, a Countryside Stewardship or Higher Tier agreement - and you are satisfied that modelled sequestration can form part of your report or project purpose - you will find the correct modelled sequestration options can be used for these areas in the Sequestration tab. Make sure you do not double count if you are also soil sampling any of this land.
- Why do I see emissions in the Sequestration section?
The sequestration section of the Calculator allows lots of different methods for entering sampled data or modelling potential sequestration on any farm. Depending on what options you select, or what your soil samples say however emissions can still result here.
Common examples include some of the Countryside Stewardship options which in a separate study by Natural England were associated with some emissions, as well as sequestration. So you have the full picture we have included both in the report. In all cases the emissions result from the specific land management required by the Countryside Stewardship agreement itself, and the associated sequestration was found to be the case via sampling.
Likewise some peatland options like ‘Undrained near natural bogs’ have both emissions and sequestration associated with them - and in this case more carbon is emitted than sequestered. We rely on data for this land type from a report to DEFRA aligning emissions data with the peatland carbon code by Evans et al. 2022 (our Reference 82). This isn’t the case for all peatland in the UK - and if you would like to learn more, we are happy to share our understanding from our sources - just send us a message.
- What is Land use change in my report?
Land use change (LUC) in carbon accounting refers to significant, long-term shifts in how land is used and assesses big changes from between croplands, to grasslands, woodlands, and built environments as examples of major land use types. It’s not about what you grow, or how you manage the land, but what the land use is long-term.
You are asked about Land use change in your Report details thinking back over the past 20 years, and you would include LUC on your farm intended to be permanent, or last at 20 years or more. Common examples of relevant LUC include converting cropland or grassland to roads, or buildings, or establishing new woodlands on previously cropped or grazed land.
As mentioned, changes in management practices, such as altering tillage, introducing leys in a rotation, or even changing crop types within a cropland category, do not qualify as LUC. The rationale is that these management shifts are captured elsewhere in carbon accounting, through changes in inputs like fuel or fertilizer, or directly observed through soil organic carbon measurements.
Land use changes having occurred more than two decades ago do not need to be reported as their carbon impact is considered to have stabilized within the new ecosystem.
Take the time to learn more about this in our extensive guide.
- Can I create a product footprint?
Increasingly supply chains, and farmers are interested in knowing the carbon footprint of products on your farm. You might see carbon figures reported in the media, or even emissions information listed on a product you buy, and you may want to see how you compare.
You can use the Calculator to calculate either whole farm carbon footprints or product carbon footprints. To do a product footprint like wheat, milk or eggs, you would need to separate the processes used to produce the various food products from your farm. Then you can make use of our KPI’s knowing that for your product the figures are right.
This is an advanced process and we advise that you read our guide, or reach out to us for assistance if you need help.
▶️ Watch video (Opens in new tab) 📘 Download Guide (PDF, 3.47mb)
To simplify things here: We recommend starting by completing a whole-farm footprint which may contain different enterprises on your farm like wheat, and beef.
With a copy of your whole farm report in hand, work out what processes and inputs are used specifically for any of the two example enterprises you would like a product footprint of. In the copied report delete and amend items until what is left only reflects the product you are thinking of.
Then work out what are common to all enterprises on the farm like buildings, machinery, office, woodland, hedges, etc. You will have to use your judgement here. These common elements go in an ‘Overheads report’ which you then associate with the product report from earlier. You associate the overheads report in Report details.
Once you ensure you name all the reports carefully and are happy, the product footprint is now complete as it will include the product-related emissions and a portion of the overall emissions from the farm. We work out this proportionality based on the farm-area method, where we look at what proportion of the whole farm is dedicated to any particular product - but you can use other methods too.
If you have questions about this process after reading the above guides, ask us!
Troubleshooting
- I’m having trouble accessing my account
ll users log in with a username or email. We prefer email as it is easier to be sure you have it right. If you have forgotten your password you can reset it here by sending an emailed reset link.
If you have forgotten the email address you used, try your username to see whether you can receive an email confirmation of your email address. If you still have difficulty make sure you reach out to our team, or an advisor or other person if they set the account up for you.
Some users will have set up two-factor authentication. After using your password you will be asked for a code to log in. Your code will be delivered via email, or from an authentication device - usually an app on your phone or computer depending on the method you chose when you set up this secure method of authentication.
- I’m getting an error — what do I do?
⚠️ Now and then some users will see an error on screen, may experience the system running slow, or doing something you did not expect. Due to the complexity of carbon footprinting and the many thousands of items in our reports we cannot prevent all errors from happening, however we will investigate all issues we know about.
As soon as you face difficulties let us know - where possible include the web address URL of the report you are working on, what you were trying to achieve at the time, and a screenshot - if you are confident in taking one - showing us your problem.
Often an orange box will give you feedback on screen like the below and this detail can be captured too if you can. We use this information to identify and fix errors in your report.
- I can’t find something I want to add to my report
If you cannot find where to enter a particular emissions source on your farm into the calculator you can check with us.
Let us know what you were looking for and our team will check to see if it is available, or look to research and add the item so the calculator better reflects your farm. We’ll keep you informed if we are able to include your suggestion.
🔄 Where the science allows we are always looking to make improvements and research new factors. This work is prioritised based on demand, an estimation of the number of users it will help and the estimated impact it will likely make on the carbon footprint of reports.
- How do I delete my account?
A member of our team can delete your account and all associated data with it. Contact us ensuring you use the email address you used when you signed up for your account.
Following your confirmation by email your account will be deleted and this will be confirmed in writing. Before you do contact us make sure you download or export your reports if you wish to save these for a future date.
For details of how we handle your data see our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.
- Can I import my data?
It is not possible to import your data into the Farm Carbon Calculator at present - though we are busy working on several ways to allow importing data and speeding up data entry. We are interested in making farmers’ lives easier, so send us helpful suggestions for improvements, or features you would like, and look out for our announcements and updates on our work in this area.
In the meantime remember that by copying a previous report you can speed up the process of data entry for next year - just make sure you edit each emission or delete any that no longer apply!
Services
- Can you offer help with my report?
Calculated your carbon footprint, but need some more help?
✅ We’re much more than just a Calculator, Farm Carbon Toolkit have a team of experts on hand to help.
We offer consultancy and training services to farmers and growers, organisations, and supply chain businesses. This can include interpreting results, verifying data, creating a Carbon Action Plan, or doing soil analysis on your farm.
.button.green{ background-color: #88c90e !important; } .button.green:hover { background-color: #88c90e !important; }Have a look at our FAQ’s, our resources and, case studies, and the Toolkit to help you understand your carbon report and plan your low carbon journey. If you’re a farmer with specific questions then we will do our best to answer them for you – please contact us. If we think you would benefit from more detailed assistance we will let you know.
- Can I have my report validated?
✅ Yes. Our team of expert advisors regularly validate reports as part of our own work and you can benefit too. Report validation can take place either in person or online and comes with a fee which may rise with the complexity of your business - but the more complex businesses will likely stand to benefit most from having their carbon footprints validated by us. We will assess for mistakes, irregularities, and provide feedback against benchmarks. Please note that this validation check cannot be relied upon for the purposes of participating in voluntary carbon markets.
Read about our Calculator Services, or Enquire about this service.
- I’m a farm advisor, can I use the Calculator with clients?
Consultants and other users who are using the Calculator as part of their service delivery are required to purchase an annual license from us and are not able to use the Calculator for free.
Choose an appropriate licence or get in touch with what you need
.button.green{ background-color: #88c90e !important; } .button.green:hover { background-color: #88c90e !important; }If consultants or other for-profit users are found to be using the Calculator for commercial purposes without license, FCT will at first attempt to engage with the company or individual to pursue relevant fees or as a last resort pursue legal action to recover costs and for breach of terms and conditions.
- Is there an API or integration?
We have two cutting-edge API integrations available for commercial or research purposes to enable better flows of carbon and farm information between systems. Users can create or request completed carbon footprints from the system, and our team can assist translate your data requirements into actionable carbon information. Read more on our Calculator Services page.
Choose an appropriate licence or get in touch with what you need
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