Game Fair 2010: CLA launches improved carbon calculator

The CLA has improved the accuracy of its web-based carbon calculator (CALM) so it reflects membership of an environmental stewardship scheme.

The calculator was originally designed to measure the greenhouse gases emission from production agriculture balanced against any carbon sequestration in soil and trees.

But the tool has now been amended so it can also model the contribution made by Entry Level (ELS) and Higher Level (HLS) agri-environment schemes which are most likely to improve the greenhouse balance of a farm.

CLA president William Worsley said: “The pilot run of the upgraded calculator strongly suggests that environmental stewardship can make a worthwhile contribution to greenhouse gas emission reductions.

“Reductions in these emissions also result in cost-savings in most instances, which is particularly important in the current economic climate.”

The new version of the calculator was launched by environment minister Richard Benyon at the CLA Game Fair. It was developed with Savills and improved with the help of Natural England.

The free-to-use calculator can be accessed on the CLA’s website.