Cambridgeshire County Council has set a target to reduce its direct Scopes 1 and 2 emissions to net zero and halve its indirect Scope 3 emissions (compared to 2018) by 2030, with the aim of reaching net zero across all scopes by 2045.[2]
The council’s extensive rural estate is let out to over 160 tenant farmers, mainly as cropland along with some livestock; it also owns nature reserves, woods, and areas of built-up land. The council needed to understand how the rural estate was contributing to its Scope 3 emissions and how it could sequester more carbon, as well as support biodiversity and address other environmental issues.
Decarbonising the rural estate is complicated, because more than half of it sits on peat soils. The estate lies in the Cambridgeshire Fens, a highly productive area that grows about one-fifth and one-third of England’s crops and vegetables, respectively. Draining the peat – which makes this productivity possible – has released (and still does release) large amounts of carbon from the soil. This means that significant decarbonisation could decrease farming yields.
To tackle this challenge, we assembled a cross-sector team that brought together our carbon and natural economy expertise. We weighed up the decarbonisation of farming practices versus the restoration of peatland to maximise sequestration opportunities. We produced a strategic action plan that included decarbonisation actions and natural capital opportunities across the whole estate. We also provided the council with a route map to meet its own decarbonisation targets while preserving its role in national food security.
We used our in-house Estate Decarbonisation Model (EDeM) to measure the carbon footprint of the rural estate. This showed that, while farm practices influence emissions, the key factors are whether a farm lies on peat soil and its use of nitrogen as fertiliser; the latter is easier to influence. Our detailed analysis allowed the Council to target priority farms for more efficient decarbonisation.
To help Cambridgeshire County Council meet these targets, we delivered carbon literacy training sessions for local SMEs and council officers. We also provided the council with a tool training session, technical appendix, and guidance to carry the work forward.
Our meticulous data-gathering and expert advice equipped Cambridgeshire County Council with the evidence and guidance it needs to decarbonise at the appropriate pace and scale, in alignment with its Climate Change and Environment Strategy.
[1] Cambridgeshire County Council 2 Sept 2024 Annual Carbon Footprint Report. Available at: Appendix 1 – CCC Annual Carbon Footprint Report 2023-24.pdf
[2] Cambridgeshire County Council 2022 Net Zero Cambridgeshire 2045: Cambridgeshire County Council’s Climate Change and Environment Strategy 2022. Available at: part-1-climate-change-and-environment-strategy-2022.pdf
