Guides

Find guides available to help you get started with the Farm Carbon Calculator. Read our published methodology, updates we have made to the calculator, corrections made, and a list of references used.

Quick Start Guide

If you are new or unsure start here by downloading this step-by-step guide to completing the Farm Carbon Calculator. If you prefer, watch our video to see this process on screen.

Quick Start Video Download Quick Start Guide Guide (PDF, 2.3mb)

Scotland Flag (Carbon Audits)

The below guide is for farmers in Scotland who need a Carbon Audit for the Whole Farm Plan Scheme.

Download Carbon Audits in Scotland Guide (PDF, 2.65mb)

Gathering Your Data Guide

Find out how to gather the information from your farm to begin a carbon footprint. Gathering data is often the most time consuming part of doing your carbon footprint so it is important to know where to begin.

Download Gathering Your Data Guide (PDF, 1.97mb)

Livestock Guides

The Livestock Section is more complex than other parts of the calculator - because livestock requires detailed data entry, and forms an important part of some footprints. Read up on what information you need and how we calculate your emissions on the below pages.

How to enter diet information for your livestock calculations How enteric methane emissions are calculated Overview of manure storage systems and their impact on emissions

Land Use Change Guide

If you have had major land use change on your land over the past 20 years you may want to enter this information in the LUC tab. This will only appear if you have clicked 'Yes' to the question 'Have you had any major land use change over the past 20 years?' on the edit report details page. If you are unsure about whether a change you've made to your business counts as a 'major' change in land use, use the guide below to help you navigate the options.

Land use change guide

Data Collection Spreadsheet

This spreadsheet can help you gather the data you will need for the Carbon Calculator as it covers all available items you can enter, the units required, and includes helpful hints. Shortened versions are available for organic farmers & growers, and farms without livestock.

Download spreadsheet spreadsheet – organic spreadsheet – no livestock

Practical Guide to Soil Carbon

Download this excellent resource which tells you how to measure and analyse Soil Organic Matter and Soil Carbon, plus a range of other proxy soil health measurements. Start here if preparing data for Soil Organic Matter for entry into the Calculator.

Download Monitoring Soil Carbon Guide (PDF, 442Kb)

Guide to Creating Overheads Reports and Product Footprints

This more advanced guide explains how to use the calculator to create robust and accurate product footprints on your farm. Find out how to separate your farm overheads emissions on your farm, and after that to create carbon footprints for products which could be shared with others throughout the supply chain or further afield.

Watch Video Download Overheads and Product Footprints Guide (PDF, 3.47mb)

Methodology

What’s changed in the 2025 update?

What’s Changed? April 2025 (PDF 2.91Mb)

View livestock update June 2025 (online)

Methodology of the Calculator

An overview of how the calculations behind the Calculator are made and the references upon which they are based:

Download Calculator Methodology v.3.4 (PDF, 3.8MB)

Download References List (PDF, 117KB)

View References online

Where errors in the calculator have been fixed to previous versions of the Calculator these are listed in the document below.

Corrections to Farm Carbon Calculator

Each year we commission an independent review of the methodology which underpins our Calculator - to make sure we're giving the most accurate carbon footprints possible. Read about our latest review by The Carbon Trust.