Esgair Gawr Project Introduction: Quantifying the carbon footprint of an upland beef and sheep system: Identifying opportunities to reduce on-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Site: Esgair Gawr
Address: Rhydymain, Dolgellau, Gwynedd, LL40 2BH
Technical Officer: Gwawr Hughes
Project Title: Quantifying the carbon footprint of an upland beef and sheep system: Identifying opportunities to reduce on-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Introduction to project:
In 2019, a target of 95% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by 2050 relative to those produced in 1990 was adopted by the UK Government, following a recommendation by the Committee on Climate Change (Committee on Climate Change, 2019). Welsh Government has committed to this target, and has set out in its low carbon delivery plan, ‘Prosperity for All: A Low Carbon Wales’ to further reduce GHG production in order to reach net zero emissions by 2050 (Welsh Government, 2019b). Due to this, there is a responsibility on every sector to reduce its associated GHG emissions. The agricultural sector was responsible for 12% of Welsh greenhouse gas emissions in 2016 (Welsh Government, 2019a).
Livestock systems are both a source and sink of GHGs, with considerable potential to remove GHGs from the atmosphere by carbon sequestration within soils, trees and hedges on-farm, contributing to balance the GHGs produced.
Esgair Gawr is an upland beef and sheep farm in Dolgellau, North Wales. Emlyn Roberts, the host farmer, acknowledges the environmental pressure facing the industry, partly driven by government targets such as those mentioned above but also by increasing consumer demand for sustainable food products, and recognises the importance of quantifying the farm’s environmental impact.
Project Objectives:
The main aim of this project is to quantify the carbon footprint of an upland beef and sheep system. The objective is to determine the GHGs emissions produced from on-farm activities, as well as carbon sequestration to remove GHGs from the atmosphere on-farm.
The project will focus on where GHG emissions are produced on-farm and aim to identify opportunities for GHG mitigation in future. Although implementing and measuring mitigation strategies will go beyond the duration of the project, the project aims to predict the effect of applying specific mitigation strategies on the farm’s carbon footprint in the future. Estimating the carbon sequestration levels will also be particularly useful for the farm moving forward.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Set:
Key performance indicators will be set following completion of the carbon footprint. Areas for improvement will be identified and KPIs formulated with the objective of reducing emissions in these areas.
Timeline and Milestones:
