Farmers calculate carbon emissions online

Tuesday, 3 June 2008, 11:28 am
Press Release: Carbon Farming Group

Media Release

3 June 2008

The Carbon Farming Group launched today an easy to use, online calculator which enables farmers to identify how the Emissions Trading Scheme may affect them and their business.

The Carbon Farming Group has been set up to provide farmers with independent information on issues surrounding carbon farming and the Emissions Trading Scheme.

Established with funding from the Tindall Foundation, the Carbon Farming Group is a charitable trust. It is focused on ensuring the agricultural sector is fully informed about all aspects of the ETS and possible opportunities for carbon farming, prior to the industry’s inclusion in the scheme in 2013.

Carbon Farming Group’s website www.carbonfarming.org.nz aims to provide independent information to farmers on the ETS and related issues. The website includes an easy to use online calculator which will provide an estimate of a farm’s potential carbon liability using data averaged across New Zealand conditions. This will give farmers a head-start on what carbon costs they may incur in the future. The website also includes practical information on how farms can reduce their carbon emissions.

Under the Government’s proposed Emissions Trading Scheme the agricultural sector will start paying for their carbon emissions in 2013, initially farmers will have to account for the increase in their emissions above 90% of what they were in 2005. Farmers will be liable for 100% of their emissions under the scheme by 2030.

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“The agricultural sector has been bombarded with a large amount of information on the Emissions Trading Scheme, the Kyoto Protocol and what individual obligations may be. Carbon Farming Group sees its role as providing independent information on all the issues surrounding climate change for the farming community. The sooner farmers have access to this information, the better. Implementation of emission reducing processes and systems takes time, but can save money and may increase productivity and profitability,” says Clayton Wallwork, Trustee - Carbon Farming Group.

“The CFG website provides a one stop shop for information on climate change issues and how they affect farming. The calculator is extremely useful, by inputting basic information about your farm, number and type of stock and amount of forestry planted it will calculate your projected liability. Given that agriculture has five years to get ready before the ETS comes into effect, it gives me time to plan how I can best achieve my goal of minimising the impacts of carbon related costs,” says Bill Busby, Pauariki Station.

“The Tindall Foundation is pleased to support this robust and independent venture, which aims to educate the agricultural sector about issues which directly affect all New Zealanders,” says Trevor Gray – Manager Tindall Foundation

The CFG plans to regularly update its website to include the latest information on carbon farming from a variety of sources: government and private sector. A newsletter will also be distributed to interested parties and can be subscribed to online through the CFG website: www.carbonfarming.org.nz

ENDS

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