Carbon footprinting and Welsh Lamb

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Carbon footprinting and Welsh Lamb

• Katharina Plassmann
• Gareth Edwards-Jones
• Bangor University

Dr Katharina Plassmann who delivered this
presentation can now be contacted at Research
Station, Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon ART,
Switzerland http//www.reckenholz.ch Email
katharina.plassmann_at_art.admin.ch
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Structure

• Background
• Example carbon footprint of foods
• Developing a carbon footprint for a sheep farm
• More Welsh carbon footprinting results and
  international comparison
• Uncertainty

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Background
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Carbon footprint

• the sum of greenhouse gases released during the
  full life cycle of a product (good or service)

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Global warming potential

• carbon footprints are expressed as kg CO2
  equivalents
• carbon dioxide (CO2) 1 kg 1 kg CO2
  equivalents
• nitrous oxide (N2O) 1 kg 296 kg CO2
  equivalents
• methane (CH4) 1 kg 23 kg CO2 equivalents
• other greenhouse gases include CFCs, halons,
  methyl bromide, sulphur hexafluoride, halogenated
  HC, mono/di/trichloromethane)

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Life Cycle Assessment
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Example carbon footprints of food
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Typical carbon footprints (kg CO2 equivalents
per kg of food/drink)various sources
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• Carbon footprinting schemes

International Organisation for Standardisation
(ISO) Agency for the Environment and Energy
Management (ADEME), France World Resources
Institute (WRI) Casino, France Migros,
Switzerland Leclerc, France KRAV and Svenskt
Sigill, Sweden Blauer Engel (Blue Angel),
Germany TÜV Nord, Germany Korea Thailand carboNZer
o, New Zealand Patagonia Clothes, US European
Ecolabel (Eco-Flower) PAS2050, UK Ministry of
Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan
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Developing a carbon footprint for a sheep farm
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Describe the activities in the system
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Obtain CO2 equivalents for each input
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Multiply emissions per unit by amount used in the
system (boundary 1)
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Expanding the system boundary
Add in ecosystem emissions

• These emissions include methane from enteric
  fermentation and nitrous oxides from soils and
  increase the emissions for this farm to
• 5,227 kg CO2e/ha/year
• (range 3,318 12,920)

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Summary of emissions from sheep farm

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More Welsh results and international comparison
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Beef and sheep farms
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Beef and sheep farms
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Lamb comparative results
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THANKS

• Conference organisers
• Our funders
• Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group Wales
• Hybu Cig Cymru Meat Promotion Wales
• International Institute for Environment and
  Development
• World Bank