Making sense of methods to audit emissions – various audit methods to estimate dairy production carbon footprint

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (s1) ◽  
pp. 2-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. O'Brien ◽  
C. Grainger ◽  
L. Shalloo
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Dairy Production ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Dairy Systems ◽  
The Impact

A dairy farm greenhouse gas (GHG) model was applied in this study to compare the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) method and the life cycle assessment (LCA) procedure, which are the principal methods for quantifying the carbon footprint of dairy production. The objectives of this paper were to compare the auditing methods in estimating the carbon footprint of grass and confinement dairy systems and to assess the methods in estimating the footprint of grass-based dairy farms varying in cow genetic potential, stocking rate and level of concentrate feeding. The input data used to operate the model was based on published research studies. The results of the study showed that the IPCC and LCA methods ranked the carbon footprint of dairy systems differently. For example, the IPCC method found that the carbon footprint of the confinement dairy system was 8% lower than the grass system, but the LCA results show that the confinement system increased the carbon footprint by 16%. The comparison of grass-based dairy systems, differing in cow genotype, stocking rate and concentrate fed per cow also showed that the methods did not agree on the ranking of dairy systems carbon footprint. The re-ranking of dairy systems carbon footprint occurred because the IPCC method excludes emissions associated with imported goods, for example, concentrate. Thus, it is incorrect to consider only components of the dairy system relevant for policy reporting such as that used by IPCC when estimating the carbon footprint of dairy produce. Instead, holistic approaches, such as LCA, which consider on and off-farm GHG emissions should be used. Therefore, reform of the present policy framework is required to enable quantification of the impact of mitigation strategies on global emissions. The evaluation of the carbon footprint from grass-based systems differing in cow genotype also demonstrated that selecting cows solely for milk production will increase the carbon footprint of grass-based dairy systems relative to cows selected on a combination of traits, because of reduced cow fertility and thus higher emissions from replacement heifers.

scholarly journals Efficiency of pasture and supplement management in high producing dairy herds

2003 ◽  
pp. 105-110
Author(s):  
P.V. Salles ◽  
J. Hodgson ◽  
P.N.P. Matthews ◽  
C.W. Holmes ◽  
N.M. Shadbolt
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Animal Performance ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Feeding Management ◽  
Dairy Systems ◽  
Supplementary Feed

In 1998 a three-year dairy farm monitoring programme funded by AGMARDT (Agricultural Marketing and Research Development Trust) was established on twelve dairy farms in the southern North Island of New Zealand where policy had changed from a focus on high production per ha through high stocking rate to a management based on reduced stocking rate and strategic use of supplements to enhance both production per cow and per ha. The project involved a detailed three-year data collection which included measurements of the quantity and composition of pasture and supplements consumed as well as animal performance. Analysis of the results of the third year (2000/2001) on nine of these farms with complete data sets identified a range of metabolisable energy (ME) intake (50669 - 70135 MJ ME/cow/yr). Supplementary feed represented on average 24% (21 - 27 %) of the total intake of ME, the main supplements being pasture silage (summer to winter), turnips (summer) and maize silage (autumn and winter) consumed by lactating cows, and grazing off by dry stock. There was a range of milksolids (MS) production per cow (372 - 424 kg/year) and per hectare (921 - 1264 kg/year). The average economic farm surplus per hectare of NZ$3077 (NZ$2425 - NZ$3867) for the case-study farms was approximately 43% higher than the top 25% farms in the Manawatu region. Mean values of return on assets for the case-study farms (12.9%) and top 25% farms in Manawatu (13.0%) were similar. Good pasture management based on controlled preand post-grazing herbage mass targets (mean 2650 and 1900 kg DM/ha, respectively), strategic use of supplementary feed to control pasture deficits, and moderate stocking rates (overall mean 2.7 cows/ha), provided high allowances of high quality herbage (organic matter digestibility ranging from 742 to 845 g/kg DM) and maintained high levels of milk production (411 kg MS/cow and 1100kg MS/ha). The comparison with industry data showed that the casestudy farms were highly productive and profitable dairy systems, at least under the conditions of the 2000/2001 season. However, the result indicated the need to improve management skills to limit feed wastage under generous feeding management, and also the limitation of conventional procedures for monitoring pasture consumption in farming systems. Keywords: animal performance, dairy systems, energy intak e, herbage quality, pasture management, profitability

How can grass-based dairy farmers reduce the carbon footprint of milk?

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 495 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. O'Brien ◽  
A. Geoghegan ◽  
K. McNamara ◽  
L. Shalloo
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Quota System ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Increase Milk Production ◽  
Fertiliser Use ◽  
Milk Solids

The Irish dairy industry aims to increase milk production from grass-based farms following the removal of the EU milk-quota system, but is also required to minimise greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to meet European reduction targets. Consequently, the sector is under increasing pressure to reduce GHG emissions per unit of milk, or carbon footprint (CF). Therefore, the goal of the present study was to determine the main sources of the CF of grass-based milk production and to identify mitigation strategies that can be applied to reduce farm footprints. In total, the CF of milk was estimated for 62 grass-based dairy farms in 2014. The method used to quantify GHG emissions was a life cycle assessment (LCA), independently certified to comply with the British standard for LCA (PAS 2050). The LCA method was applied to calculate annual on- and off-farm GHG emissions associated with dairy production until milk was sold from the farm in CO2-equivalent (CO2-eq). Annual GHG emissions computed using LCA were allocated to milk on the basis of the economic value of dairy products and expressed per kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk to estimate CF. Enteric methane was the main source of the CF of milk (46%), followed by emissions from inorganic N fertilisers (16%), manure (16%) and concentrate feedstuffs (8%). The mean CF of milk from the 62 farms was 1.26 kg of CO2-eq per kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk, but varied from 0.98 kg to 1.67 kg as measured using the 95% confidence interval. The CF of milk was correlated with numerous farm attributes, particularly N-fertiliser, the percentage of grazed grass in the diet, and production of milk solids. Grass-based dairy farmers can significantly improve these farm attributes by increasing herd genetic merit, extending the length of the grazing season and optimising N fertiliser use and, thereby, reduce the CF of milk.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Link between Low Carbon Reductions Strategies and Its Performance in the Context of Climate Change: A Carbon Footprint of a Wood-Frame Residential Building in Quebec, Canada

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Padilla-Rivera ◽  
Ben Amor ◽  
Pierre Blanchet
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Quebec City ◽  
Baseline Scenario ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Building Sector ◽  
Change Mitigation

The design and study of low carbon buildings is a major concern in a modern economy due to high carbon emissions produced by buildings and its effects on climate change. Studies have investigated (CFP) Carbon Footprint of buildings, but there remains a need for a strong analysis that measure and quantify the overall degree of GHG emissions reductions and its relationship with the effect on climate change mitigation. This study evaluates the potential of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the building sector by evaluating the (CFP) of four hotpots approaches defined in line with commonly carbon reduction strategies, also known as mitigation strategies. CFP framework is applied to compare the (CC) climate change impact of mitigation strategies. A multi-story timber residential construction in Quebec City (Canada) was chosen as a baseline scenario. This building has been designed with the idea of being a reference of sustainable development application in the building sector. In this scenario, the production of materials and construction (assembly, waste management and transportation) were evaluated. A CFP that covers eight actions divided in four low carbon strategies, including: low carbon materials, material minimization, reuse and recycle materials and adoption of local sources and use of biofuels were evaluated. The results of this study shows that the used of prefabricated technique in buildings is an alternative to reduce the CFP of buildings in the context of Quebec. The CC decreases per m2 floor area in baseline scenario is up to 25% than current buildings. If the benefits of low carbon strategies are included, the timber structures can generate 38% lower CC than the original baseline scenario. The investigation recommends that CO2eq emissions reduction in the design and implementation of residential constructions as climate change mitigation is perfectly feasible by following different working strategies. It is concluded that if the four strategies were implemented in current buildings they would have environmental benefits by reducing its CFP. The reuse wood wastes into production of particleboard has the greatest environmental benefit due to temporary carbon storage.

Carbon Footprint Analysis of an Educational Institution

2015 ◽  
Vol 787 ◽  
pp. 187-191
Author(s):  
P.M. Sivaram ◽  
N. Gowdhaman ◽  
D.Y. Ebin Davis ◽  
M. Subramanian
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Educational Institution ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Liquefied Petroleum Gas ◽  
Diesel Generator ◽  
Working Paper ◽  
Corporate Carbon Footprint ◽  
The Impact

Global warming and climate change are the foremost environmental challenges facing the world today. It is our responsibility to minimize the consumption of energy and hence reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. Companies choose ‘Carbon Footprint’ as a tool to calculate the greenhouse gas emission to show the impact of their activities on the environment. In this working paper, we assess the carbon foot print of an educational institution and suggest suitable measures for reducing it. Greenhouse gas emitting protocol for an academic institution in terms of tones of equivalent CO2 per year is projected using three basic steps includes planning (assessment of data’s), calculation and estimation of CO2 emitted. The estimation of carbon foot print is calculated by accounting direct emission from sources owned/controlled by the educational institution and from indirect emission i.e. purchased electricity, electricity produced by diesel Generator (DG), transport, cooking (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) and other outsourced distribution. The CO2 absorbed by trees are also accounted. Some of the options are identified in order to reduce CO2 level. The information of corporate carbon footprint helps us identifying the Green House Gases (GHG) emission “hot spots” and identifies where the greatest capacity exists in order to reduce the GHG emissions. The main prioritization goes to transport and then followed by DG, cooking and then electricity. The per capita CO2 emission and the total CO2 emission for a typical educational institution are estimated.

Analysis of Calculation Methods for Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Road Sector

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viktoras Vorobjovas ◽  
Algirdas Motiejunas ◽  
Tomas Ratkevicius ◽  
Alvydas Zagorskis ◽  
Vaidotas Danila
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Road Construction ◽  
Evaluation Methods ◽  
The Road ◽  
Construction Methods ◽  
The Impact

Climate change is one of the main nowadays problem in the world. The politics and strategies for climate change and tools for reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and green technologies are created and implemented. Mainly it is focused on energy, transport and construction sectors, which are related and plays a significant role in the roads life cycle. Most of the carbon footprint emissions are generated by transport. The remaining emissions are generated during the road life cycle. Therefore, European and other countries use methods to calculate GHG emissions and evaluate the impact of road construction methods and technologies on the environment. Software tools for calculation GHG emissions are complicated, and it is not entirely clear what GHG emission amounts generate during different stages of road life cycle. Thus, the precision of the obtained results are often dependent on the sources and quantities of data, assumptions, and hypothesis. The use of more accurate and efficient calculation-evaluation methods could let to determine in which stages of road life cycle the largest carbon footprint emissions are generated, what advanced road construction methods and technologies could be used. Also, the road service life could be extended, the consumption of raw materials, repair, and maintenance costs could be reduced. Therefore the time-savings could be improved, and the impact on the environment could be reduced using these GHG calculation-evaluation methods.

The Application of Carbon Footprint in Agri-Food Supply Chain Management: Case Study on Milk Products

2013 ◽  
Vol 807-809 ◽  
pp. 1988-1991 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Chun Xu ◽  
Jing Huang ◽  
Fu Chen
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Milk Powder ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Skim Milk ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Carbon Footprints ◽  
Milk Products

In the process of supply chain management, the environmental impact is one important concern. Carbon footprint is a popular metric to quantify a products greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and assist supply chain management. In this paper, carbon footprints were calculated for three common milk products, 180 g Yogurt, 250 mL Fluid milk and 400g Skim milk powder (SMP) at the product brand level (YiYi®). The results demonstrated the well comprehensiveness and practicality of carbon footprint as streamlined indicator in supply chain management for agri-food products. The carbon footprints were compared among different life cycle stages as well as different products, and possible mitigation strategies were put forward for GHGs reductions. The relative contributions that different phases over the supply chain make were highlighted. On-farm emissions from cropping and livestock subsystems made up the majority of the carbon footprint, which deserved special attention in agri-food sector.

scholarly journals 180 Screening the carbon footprint of intensive Korean dairy cattle farms: Transition towards low emissions’ production system

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 136-136
Author(s):  
Ridha Ibidhi ◽  
Tae Hoon Kim ◽  
Rajaraman Bharanidharan ◽  
Krishnaraj Thirugnanasambantham ◽  
Kyoung Hoon Kim
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Manure Management ◽  
Enteric Fermentation

Abstract In the context of global climate change, carbon footprint (CF) becomes an important sustainability indicator for dairy production systems. To mitigation the CF of the dairy sector, insight into greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions from individual farms is required. The objective of this study was to determine the primary contributors to GHG emissions at the farm-gate level, expressed as a carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-eq), to produce one kg of fat-and protein corrected milk (FPCM). Primary data about farms’ management and feeding practices were collected from twelve dairy farms that belong to Gyeonggi-do province, which represent the most important region for milk production in South Korea. Allocation of GHG emissions between meat and milk was assessed as a physical allocation, 98% allocated to milk and 2% to meat (surplus of calves and culled cows). The CF of the evaluated farms averaged to 0.61 CO2-eq/kg of FPCM and ranged from 0.49 to 0.78 CO2-eq/kg of FPCM. Results indicated that the largest source of GHG comes mostly from enteric fermentation (83%), followed by manure management (6%), manure and fertilizer land application (8%) and energy consumption (3%). By type of gas emitted, methane accounted for 86% of total emissions, originating from enteric fermentation and manure management. Nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide accounted for 11.6 % and 2.8% of total GHG emissions, respectively. Lactating cows contributed by 70% of total GHG emissions, whereas dry cows, heifers and calves contributed by 5, 22 and 3%, respectively. Differences in GHG emissions from the evaluated farms could be explained by differences in feed quality and management practices through manure and fertilizers application on cropland. This study contributes to identify the main sources of GHG production in dairy farms, which can help to define mitigation strategies towards the transition to neutral carbon emissions of the dairy sector.

scholarly journals Trend Analysis of Taiwan’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Energy Sector and its Mitigation Strategies and Promotion Actions

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 859
Author(s):  
Wen-Tien Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Trend Analysis ◽  
Energy Supply ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Competent Authority ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
Energy Sector ◽  
Sustainability Indicators ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel

The mitigation strategies and actions for mitigating the emission of greenhouse gas (GHG) from the energy sector become more important and urgent. The main aim of this paper was to present a trend analysis of the emissions of GHG from the Taiwan’s energy sector, which was issued by the central competent authority through the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology. The data also complied with the procedures of measurement, reporting and verification. Based on the official database, the statistics on energy supply, energy consumption and GHG emissions will be connected to analyze the trends of environmental and energy sustainability indicators over the past decades. It showed that the trends of the relevant sustainability indicators based on GHG emissions from the energy sector indicated two development stages: the growth period (annually 5.6%) of 1990–2005, and the decoupling period (annually 0.5%) of 2005–2018. This result could be ascribed to the Taiwan government by promulgating some regulatory measures on energy saving improvement and renewable energy supply during this period. It was worthy to note that the installed capacities of photovoltaic (PV) power increased from 888 megawatt (MW) in 2015 to 5817 MW in 2020. These technological, behavioral, managerial and policy advancements are in accordance with global mitigation strategies. Under the authorization of the energy-related regulations, some promotional actions or programs for efficient energy use and renewable electricity supply were also announced to reach the targets of GHG emissions reduction in the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

scholarly journals Nitrous oxide, ammonia and methane from Australian meat chicken houses measured under commercial operating conditions and with mitigation strategies applied

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (9) ◽  
pp. 1404 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. G. Wiedemann ◽  
F. A. Phillips ◽  
T. A. Naylor ◽  
E. J. McGahan ◽  
O. B. Keane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Standard Diet ◽  
Litter Depth ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Equivalents ◽  
The Impact

Greenhouse gas (GHG) and ammonia emissions are important environmental impacts from meat chicken houses. This study measured ammonia (NH3), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) in two trials from paired, commercial meat chicken houses using standard (control) and mitigation strategies. In Trial 1, emissions from houses with standard litter depth of 47 mm (LD47) or increased litter depth of 67 mm (LD67) were compared. When standardised to a 42-day-old bird, emissions were 11.9 g NH3/bird, 0.30 g N2O/bird and 0.16 g CH4/bird from the LD47 and 11.7 g NH3/bird, 0.69 g N2O/bird and 0.12 g CH4/bird from the LD67. Emissions per kilogram of manure N were 0.14 and 0.11 for NH3-N, 0.003 and 0.005 N2O-N and CH4 conversion factors were 0.08% and 0.05%. Total direct and indirect GHG emissions reported in carbon dioxide equivalents were found to be higher in LD67 in response to the elevated direct N2O emissions. Trial 2 compared the impact of reduced crude protein (CP19.8) and a standard diet (CP21.3) developed using least-cost ration formulation, on emissions. Emissions per bird for the CP19.8 diet were 7.7 g NH3/bird, 0.39 g N2O/bird and 0.14 g CH4/bird, while emissions from birds fed the CP21.3 diet were 10.6 g NH3/bird, 0.42 g N2O/bird and 0.19 g CH4/bird. Significant differences were observed only in the NH3 results, where emissions were reduced by 27% for the low-CP diet. Because of the low emission levels, total mitigation potential from indirect GHG emissions was relatively small in Trial 2, corresponding to 11 t carbon dioxide equivalents/year per million birds.

scholarly journals Applying science as a tool for dairy farmers

2005 ◽  
pp. 61-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Savage ◽  
C. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Gross Margin ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Dairy Systems ◽  
Operating Strategies ◽  
Gross Margins ◽  
On Farm ◽  
The Impact

Dairy Systems Monitoring (DSM) was developed out of response from dairy farmers for a benchmarking tool that made fair and equitable comparisons between farms. This benchmarking system is used by the clients to improve their productivity and profitability. The dairy farm simulation model UDDER is used to simulate the farm system. The input information is milk production from fencepost, and monthly data from the farm, including, areas, stock numbers, supplements, crops and nitrogen (N). The model is then calibrated to simulate the farms production, revised and validated monthly. There has been a successful uptake of this program. Currently 50 farms are involved. Dairy Systems Monitoring has generated change in the systems of participating farmers. Dairy Systems Monitoring has proven to be an effective tool to demonstrate the impact of a range of new technologies on farm systems. The tool is used on an ongoing basis to simulate and compare different operating strategies. It has the ability for clients to compare themselves to simular farms. A key benchmark that is analysed is the feed harvested. For every additional 1 tonne of dry matter (DM) harvested, the gross margin (GM) increases by $339/ha. The question this poses for participants is "how do we harvest more pasture"? Is it by growing more pasture, or improving management to harvest more of the existing pasture growth? Dairy Systems Monitoring is an effective extension tool to highlight the impact of new technologies or management practices on the client's farm program. Keywords: benchmarking, dairy farm programmes, feed harvested, gross margins, UDDER model

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