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CHAPTER
[02]

Measuring and Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Carbon footprint tracking in Kora provides comprehensive emission measurement. Record emissions across 11 operational categories. Document calculation methods with transparency. Track data quality levels from direct measurement to estimates. Verify emission factors. Link carbon records to specific animals, locations, inventory items, or suppliers. Carbon tracking supports climate reporting requirements, carbon neutral certification, market access for low-carbon products, and operational efficiency through emission reduction identification.

This section explains how carbon emissions are recorded. What emission categories are tracked. How carbon footprint documentation supports sustainability goals and climate action.

What is Carbon Footprint Tracking?

A carbon footprint represents total greenhouse gas emissions from operations expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq or tCO2eq). Different greenhouse gases (methane, nitrous oxide, etc.) convert to CO2 equivalents based on their global warming potential. This enables standardised comparison.

Carbon footprint tracking in Kora documents:

  • Emission source: Which operational category generated emissions (feed, energy, transportation, etc.)
  • Emission quantity: Carbon dioxide equivalent in tonnes (tCO2eq) or kilograms (kgCO2eq)
  • Calculation method: How emissions were determined (direct measurement, calculation from activity data, estimation)
  • Data quality: Accuracy level of emission data (measured, calculated, estimated, default)
  • Emission factors: Conversion rates used (kgCO2eq per unit of activity)
  • Associations: Links to specific animals, locations, inventory, or suppliers generating emissions

Why carbon tracking matters:

  • Climate reporting: Many jurisdictions require or incentivise carbon disclosure
  • Certification: Carbon neutral and low-carbon labels demand verified emission data
  • Market access: Buyers increasingly require product carbon footprint documentation
  • Efficiency: Emission tracking identifies high-impact reduction opportunities
  • Goal setting: Baseline measurements enable measurable reduction targets
  • Transparency: Stakeholders expect credible climate action documentation

Example carbon scenarios:

Livestock Farm Carbon Tracking:
  Total Annual Emissions: 487 tCO2eq

  Breakdown by Category:
    Enteric Fermentation (cattle methane): 285 tCO2eq (58%)
    Feed Production & Transport: 92 tCO2eq (19%)
    Manure Management: 48 tCO2eq (10%)
    Energy (diesel, electricity): 35 tCO2eq (7%)
    Transportation (livestock movements): 18 tCO2eq (4%)
    Other (water, chemicals, waste): 9 tCO2eq (2%)

  Carbon Intensity: 2.8 kgCO2eq per kg live weight produced

  Reduction Goal: Decrease emissions 15% over 3 years through improved feed
                  efficiency, renewable energy, and rotational grazing

Wildlife Reserve Carbon Tracking:
  Total Annual Emissions: 45 tCO2eq
  Carbon Sequestration (forest/grassland): -520 tCO2eq
  Net Carbon Footprint: -475 tCO2eq (carbon negative)

  Emissions:
    Vehicles (field operations): 28 tCO2eq
    Facility Energy: 12 tCO2eq
    Equipment & Machinery: 5 tCO2eq

  Carbon Offset: Habitat restoration project sequesters 11x operational emissions
  Certification: Verified carbon negative conservation operation

Emission Categories

Kora tracks carbon across 11 operational categories:

Feed & Nutrition

Emissions from feed production, processing, and transportation.

Livestock Operations:

Feed Emissions Example:
  Purchased Feed: 12,000 kg grain concentrate
  Emission Factor: 0.85 kgCO2eq per kg feed (includes production + transport)
  Calculation: 12,000 kg × 0.85 = 10,200 kgCO2eq (10.2 tCO2eq)

  Feed Type Variations:
    - Grain concentrates: 0.6-1.2 kgCO2eq/kg (energy-intensive production)
    - Hay/silage: 0.1-0.3 kgCO2eq/kg (lower processing, local sourcing)
    - Protein supplements: 1.5-3.0 kgCO2eq/kg (high-impact production)

  Data Quality: Calculated (supplier carbon data × quantities purchased)
  Associated With: Feed inventory item, supplier record

Transportation

Emissions from vehicle fuel consumption.

Fleet Tracking:

Monthly Transportation Record:
  Diesel Consumption: 450 litres
  Emission Factor: 2.68 kgCO2eq per litre diesel
  Calculation: 450 L × 2.68 = 1,206 kgCO2eq (1.2 tCO2eq)

  Transportation Breakdown:
    - Feed delivery: 180 L (595 kgCO2eq)
    - Livestock movements: 120 L (322 kgCO2eq)
    - Veterinary visits: 80 L (214 kgCO2eq)
    - Supply pickups: 70 L (188 kgCO2eq)

  Data Quality: Measured (fuel receipts, odometer readings)

Energy Consumption

Emissions from electricity, heating, and facility operations.

Facility Energy Tracking:

Monthly Electricity Record:
  Consumption: 3,200 kWh
  Grid Emission Factor: 0.42 kgCO2eq per kWh (regional grid mix)
  Calculation: 3,200 kWh × 0.42 = 1,344 kgCO2eq

  Renewable Energy Offset:
    Solar panels generated: 800 kWh (336 kgCO2eq avoided)
    Net Emissions: 1,008 kgCO2eq

  Data Quality: Measured (utility bills, solar monitoring)

Animal Emissions

Direct emissions from animals (primarily enteric fermentation).

Ruminant Methane:

Cattle Herd Enteric Fermentation:
  Herd: 85 adult cattle
  Methane per Animal: 95 kg CH₄/year
  Methane GWP: 28 (CO2 equivalent multiplier)
  Calculation: 85 cattle × 95 kg CH₄ × 28 = 225,350 kgCO2eq (225 tCO2eq)

  Note: Largest emission source for ruminant operations (typically 50-70% of total)

  Data Quality: Calculated (herd count × standard emission factors for animal type/diet)
  Associated With: Animal records (specific cattle mob or individuals)

  Reduction Strategies:
    - Improved feed efficiency (reduced emissions per unit production)
    - Feed additives (methane inhibitors)
    - Genetics selection (lower-emitting animals)

Manure/Waste Management

Emissions from organic waste decomposition.

Manure Handling:

Manure Management System:
  Herd: 85 cattle
  Manure per Animal: 18 kg/day
  Methane Emission Factor: 8 kgCO2eq per tonne manure (storage system dependent)

  Annual Calculation:
    Manure Generated: 85 cattle × 18 kg/day × 365 = 558,450 kg (558 tonnes)
    Emissions: 558 tonnes × 8 kgCO2eq/tonne = 4,464 kgCO2eq (4.5 tCO2eq)

  Management System Impact:
    - Liquid slurry storage: 10-25 kgCO2eq/tonne (high methane potential)
    - Solid stockpile: 3-8 kgCO2eq/tonne (moderate emissions)
    - Composting (aerobic): 1-3 kgCO2eq/tonne (low emissions, best practice)

  Improvement: Switch from liquid storage to composting reduces emissions 70-85%

Equipment & Machinery

Emissions from equipment manufacturing and fuel use.

Facility Operations

Emissions from building operations not covered by energy.

Land Use

Emissions or sequestration from land management.

Land Carbon Balance:

Pasture Management (Carbon Sequestration):
  Rotational Grazing Area: 150 hectares
  Sequestration Rate: 1.2 tCO2eq per hectare per year (improved grazing)
  Carbon Removal: -180 tCO2eq/year (negative emissions, carbon sink)

  Baseline (conventional grazing): 0.3 tCO2eq/ha/year sequestration
  Improvement from Rotational Grazing: +0.9 tCO2eq/ha/year additional sequestration

  Total Farm Impact: Rotational grazing offsets 37% of operational emissions

  Data Quality: Estimated (soil carbon sampling, modelling)
  Associated With: Specific paddock locations

Water Usage

Emissions from water pumping and treatment.

Chemicals & Fertilisers

Emissions from chemical production and use.

Packaging & Materials

Emissions from packaging production.

Recording Carbon Emissions

Basic Emission Record:

Carbon Footprint Record - Feed Transportation:
  Record Date: 2024-08-15
  Category: Transportation
  Description: "Monthly feed delivery from supplier (450 km round trip)"

  Quantity: 180 litres diesel consumed
  Unit: Litres

  Emission Factor: 2.68 kgCO2eq per litre
  Emission Factor Source: "IPCC 2024 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories"

  Carbon Emissions: 482.4 kgCO2eq (0.48 tCO2eq)

  Calculation Method: "Activity data (fuel consumption) × emission factor"

  Associated With: Feed inventory item, Feed supplier record

  Data Quality: Measured (fuel receipts from deliveries)

Data Quality Levels

Kora supports four data quality tiers enabling transparency:

Measured - Direct instrumentation (highest accuracy) Calculated - Known factors applied to measured activity (high accuracy) Estimated - Best approximation from available information (moderate accuracy) Default - Industry average assumptions (lower accuracy)

Quality Level Strategy: Most operations use mixed quality levels. Measured/Calculated for major sources (energy, fuel). Estimated for biological processes (animal emissions). Default for minor sources (packaging, minor chemicals). Focus data quality improvements on largest emission sources for maximum credibility.

Emission Factor Transparency

Documenting Calculation Methods:

Transparent Carbon Record:
  Category: Feed & Nutrition
  Description: "Soybean meal protein supplement purchase"

  Quantity: 2,400 kg soybean meal
  Unit: kg

  Emission Factor: 0.95 kgCO2eq per kg soybean meal
  Emission Factor Source: "Supplier carbon footprint certificate (LCA verified)"

  Calculation Method: "Quantity purchased × supplier-provided emission factor"

  Total Emissions: 2,280 kgCO2eq (2.28 tCO2eq)

  Data Quality: Calculated (supplier verified LCA, measured quantity)

  Verification: Supplier LCA certificate reviewed (valid through 2025-12-31)

  Notes: "Supplier LCA includes soybean cultivation, processing, and transport
          to farm. Represents actual supply chain emissions for purchased feed."

Why Transparency Matters: Certification bodies, regulatory auditors, and sophisticated buyers scrutinise carbon calculations. Transparent documentation of emission factors, sources, and methods builds credibility. Vague carbon claims invite scepticism. Detailed calculation transparency supports verification.

Verification and Quality Control

Verified Emissions:

Third-Party Verification Process:
  Annual Carbon Audit: Independent verifier reviews emission records

  Verification Checks:
    - Activity data accuracy (fuel receipts, utility bills, animal counts)
    - Emission factor appropriateness (factors match activity types)
    - Calculation correctness (maths checked, units consistent)
    - Completeness (all material emission sources included)

  Verification Result:
    Status: Verified
    Verification Method: "ISO 14064-3 third-party verification"
    Verified By: Accredited carbon auditing firm
    Verification Date: 2024-09-20

    Verified Emissions: 487 tCO2eq (verified within ±5% uncertainty)

  Certificate Issued: Carbon footprint verification certificate (valid 12 months)

  Use: Supports carbon neutral claims, regulatory compliance, buyer requirements

Associations and Traceability

Linking Emissions to Entities:

Animal-Level Carbon:

Individual Animal Carbon Tracking:
  Animal: Dairy Cow #4527

  Annual Carbon Footprint:
    Enteric Fermentation: 2,850 kgCO2eq (95 kg CH₄/year × 30 GWP)
    Manure: 48 kgCO2eq
    Feed (allocated): 1,450 kgCO2eq (individual feed consumption tracked)
    Total: 4,348 kgCO2eq per year

  Milk Production: 7,200 litres/year
  Carbon Intensity: 0.60 kgCO2eq per litre milk

  Use: Product carbon labelling, low-carbon milk certification

Location-Level Carbon:

Paddock Carbon Balance:
  Location: East Paddock (45 hectares rotational grazing)

  Emissions:
    Grazing Animal Emissions: 38,500 kgCO2eq (allocated from herd emissions)

  Sequestration:
    Soil Carbon Storage: -54,000 kgCO2eq (1.2 tCO2eq/ha/year × 45 ha)

  Net Carbon Balance: -15,500 kgCO2eq (carbon negative paddock)

  Management: Rotational grazing with 60-day rest periods
  Associated With: Specific location record, grazing rotation plan

Monthly Analytics and Reporting

Carbon Tracking Dashboard:

Monthly Carbon Summary - August 2024:

  Total Emissions: 42.3 tCO2eq

  By Category:
    Animal Emissions: 19.2 tCO2eq (45%) - Enteric fermentation
    Feed: 10.8 tCO2eq (26%) - Feed production + transport
    Energy: 5.4 tCO2eq (13%) - Electricity, heating
    Transportation: 3.7 tCO2eq (9%) - Vehicle fuel
    Manure Management: 2.1 tCO2eq (5%) - Manure decomposition
    Other: 1.1 tCO2eq (2%) - Equipment, water, waste

  Year-to-Date: 336 tCO2eq (8 months)
  Annual Target: 487 tCO2eq (15% reduction from previous year 573 tCO2eq baseline)

  Progress to Goal:
    Current Annual Pace: 504 tCO2eq (on track for 12% reduction)
    Gap to Target: Need additional 17 tCO2eq reduction (3% improvement)

  Reduction Actions Implemented:
    - Solar panels (offset 800 kWh/month): -336 kgCO2eq/month saved
    - Improved feed efficiency: -8% enteric emissions
    - Rotational grazing expansion: +15 ha carbon sequestration

  Data Quality Distribution:
    Measured: 45% (energy, fuel)
    Calculated: 40% (feed, transport with verified factors)
    Estimated: 15% (animal emissions, manure)
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