Find tools, calculators and web-based resources for estimating emissions and mitigation potentials for agriculture below.
Web Resources
CAT quantifies and evaluates climate change mitigation commitments and assesses whether countries are on track to meet their commitments. It then aggregates country action to the global level, determining likely temperature increase by the end of the century. CAT also develops sectoral analysis to illustrate required pathways for meeting the global temperature goals.
Climate Interactive is an independent think-tank that develops simulations and insights to make new connections, explore scenarios, and test strategies to address climate change, inequality and other major challenges. The initiative has developed multiple tools for agriculture emissions projections and scenarios (En-ROADS, C-ROADS, ALPS).
The SAMPLES platform provides guidance for measuring emissions and is home to a database of global agricultural emission factors and the CIMMYT N2O dashboard. New emissions factors are added every year. SAMPLES also provides open access to a web based version of the book Methods for Measuring Greenhouse Gas Balances and Evaluating Mitigation Options in Smallholder Agriculture. Users can find tools and resources for measuring ghg emissions and mitigation in agriculture.
GHG Calculators
The newly developed tool for calculating C-Footprints of rice products (CF-Rice) aims at streamlining information exchange on C-Footprints of rice products among research, policymakers, the food industry, and consumers. In contrast to commercially available C-Footprint calculators, CF-Rice is freely accessible and incorporates a set of calculation routines and technological default values tailored for the rice value chain. Moreover, the tool facilitates the use of a user's own data, e.g. new Emission Factors at the field level or for advanced technologies. The tool is available as a web app online or Excel-based tool.
SECTOR is a GHG Calculator for cropland based on the IPCC Tier 2 approach. This tool is presently available in Excel and a web-based version and requires inputs from the user on cropping area, yield, and management practices. SECTOR has been developed in response to increasing interest in mitigation studies in cropland, in particular rice production. The tool offers a high range of flexibility in terms of sourcing emission and activity data as well as selecting a range of scales for aggregation. Moreover, SECTOR provides a streamlined framework for accelerated data input that will facilitate rapid assessments of multiple scenarios for domains with many spatial units.
The Agro-Chain Greenhouse Gas Emissions (ACE) calculator is a tool for estimating the total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) associated with a food product or food loss and waste (FLW). It looks at linear agro-food chains & combines a calculation framework with crop datasets, greenhouse gas emission factors and food loss factors within the chain. This tool can be used to estimate total emissions associated with FLW.
The Carbon Benefits Project (CBP) provides web-based tools for estimating the carbon balance of projects in the land use sector. The carbon balance of a given project can be assessed using three approaches: ‘Simple Assessment’, ‘Detailed Assessment’, and ‘Dynamic Modelling Option’ – which vary in terms of accuracy and data input demands. The tool also provides a framework for social and cost-benefit analysis.
The Cool Farm Tool is a GHG calculator designed for full accounting (GHG emissions and carbon sequestration) at farm level. It is an online tool that aims to help farmers evaluate farming management options for improving their carbon balance performance over time. Carbon balance estimates are done using IPCC methods and empirical research.
This Excel™ based GHG accounting tool estimates the impact of development projects within the agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) sector on GHG emissions. It covers the entire AFOLU sector, is based on the IPCC methodology for preparing GHG inventories, and uses IPCC Tier 1 values with the option of using specific coefficients (Tier 2).
Resource formulated for an audience of farmers which calculates soil nitrous oxide emissions from the biofuel crop calculator for each location in the world. Users are provided with default environmental management data required for the location's calculations. Parameters can be adjusted using local data if it is available. Serves the soil and farming sectors. Relevant to a number of crops, but cannot be applied to livestock cultivation. Uses a formula incorporating crop type, soil type, irrigation, fresh yield, mineral fertilizer, manure, and location to calculate nitrous oxide emissions from the soil.
With a focus on smallholders, the SHAMBA is a methodology that provides an approach for estimating the emission reduction potential as a function of the implementation of climate smart agriculture practices. The methodology relies on the Roth C model for changes in soil carbon stocks and the IPCC method (IPCC, 2006) for non-CO2 GHG.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) developed a web-based calculator to estimate GHG emissions and carbon sequestration of different land use interventions (e.g., forest protection and management, reforestation, agroforestry and cropland and grazing land management).
Calculates the greenhouse gas impact of different cropping systems. Is applicable to audiences of farmers in the United States; information is dispersed by having users click on their county on a map of the United States, then enter basic information about a base crop scenario. In return, the greenhouse gas costs (CO2 equivalents) are calculated based on soil, nitrous oxide, fuel, and fertilizer for a total greenhouse gas cost figure. Environmental conditions can also be entered for further accuracy. Other cropping schemes can be generated to be compared to the base scenarios.
The Winrock plot calculator supports the design of carbon stock measurement field campaigns by estimating the number of sample plots needed to estimate terrestrial carbon stocks. This calculator can be used for both baseline and monitoring measurements.
MRV Tools
A data-sharing platform to support large-scale mitigation through national plans and development programs to reduce methane (CH4) emission from rice production systems in Bangladesh and Vietnam. This platform integrates databases and tools that support the planning and implementation of NAMA in the respective countries. Some of the tools and guidelines can be adapted to other countries/regions as well.
The AgMRV Platform for Agriculture is an online platform of tools, approaches, and case studies for MRV of GHG emissions and mitigation actions in the agriculture sector. This platform provides information to guide the technical and institutional design of MRV systems for agricultural mitigation actions, including those outlined in Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goals.
This software can be used to estimate emissions and removals of biomass carbon (C) stocks, soil C stocks, soil nitrous oxide, rice methane, enteric and manure methane, nitrous oxide, and non-CO2 GHG emissions from biomass burning.
Scenario Tools
En-ROADS is a model that estimates how changes in economic and public policies could affect emissions of GHG and climate outcomes globally. C-ROADS is set to estimate the impact of GHG emission reduction in countries’ NDCs. Under development, the Agriculture and Land Policy Simulator (ALPS) will allow users to visualize the likely effect of different policy decisions on food systems and GHG emissions.
The IIASA Scenario Explorer presents model-based climate change mitigation pathways according to the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15).
Science-Based Targets develop valuable resources and tools that enable companies to set science-based emissions reduction targets. To download the Target Setting Tool, navigate to the Resources for Developing targets. The Resouces include how-to videos and downloadable guidance documents.