Which GHG Protocol scopes are covered by the Cool Farm Platform?
The Cool Farm Platform does not calculate emissions according to a single GHG Protocol scope. Instead, it calculates greenhouse gas emissions associated with agricultural production at the farm level, using a cradle-to-farm-gate system boundary.
How those emissions are classified under the GHG Protocol depends on who is reporting them:
- For farmers, direct on-farm emissions (such as fuel combustion, N₂O emissions from soils, and CH₄ emissions from livestock) are generally reported as Scope 1, while purchased electricity is Scope 2.
- For companies purchasing agricultural products, the emissions calculated by the CFP are typically reported as Scope 3 (Purchased Goods and Services), as they occur within the upstream value chain.
The CFP includes both direct farm emissions and relevant upstream emissions associated with agricultural production, such as the manufacture of fertilisers and pesticides, purchased energy, and transportation where applicable. We generally recommend a cradle-to-farm-gate assessment boundary.
Some lifecycle stages are currently only partially covered (for example, seed production is currently limited to potatoes) or excluded (such as the manufacture of machinery and infrastructure). These exclusions simplify data collection and typically have a relatively small impact on overall results, although we recognise they may be significant in some cases and continue to review these areas as part of our ongoing methodology development.
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