Tuesday 10 April 2012
Author: Sarah Talboys
I have just been introduced to this rather handy website, Green Grants Machine, which is a search facility for up to date “green” projects funding information for UK businesses.
Funding scheme can have restrictions upon them, such as location, sector, industry, size of business, and the type of project. The search tool addresses these criteria first and then lists the different grant, loan, award, and tax schemes currently available in the UK which match. The finer details, supporting documents, and contact information are also available and you can also save your search results.
Friday 9 September 2011
Author: Matthew
Chris Jones from Woodland Valley Farm in Ladock, Cornwall, is currently undertaking the Carbon Management module with the Clear About Carbon Project at the Truro Business Space operated by Cornwall College Business. Below is his initial feelings about the module and why it is relevant
“I went on the Carbon Management course session set up by Clear About Carbon on Monday. It was excellent, putting our predicament in context, and outlining our UK government response. It was well taught, by Tom Richardson. I feel already much better informed and I would definitely recommend that anyone who can find the time should go on it. A good sandwich lunch too.”
For more information on the course and to claim your free place visit: http://www.cornwall.ac.uk/business
The Jones’ family have been farming Woodland Valley for half a century. They have embraced the principles of organic farming and are certified with the Soil Association. Woodland Valley is a 170 acre mixed farm, providing organic beef and pork for direct local sales. They are active members of the local transition movement and recognise that everything they do has an effect on the local regional and global environment. As a result they are committed to continuous improvements in environmental performance and pollution prevention. In short; thinking of today with tomorrow in mind.
There is a Low Carbon farming day being at Woodland Valley on the 27th September as part of Soil Association’s stream of work with the South West Agricutlural Resource Management Project (SWARM)
For more information on Woodland Valley: http://www.woodlandvalley.co.uk/index.php
Wednesday 31 August 2011
Author: Matthew
Barclays is set to assist UK farmers with loans to facilitate renewable energy projects following the huge surge in interest due to the Feed In Tariff. The bank’s estimates suggest that a third of UK farmers are looking to install renewable energy generatation on their property, with most of them aiming to complete within the next year, and generate average returns of £25,000 pounds a year. On Tuesday the bank’s business arm launched a £100m fund to help farmers finance projects including; solar panels, windfarms, hydro plants and anaerobic digestion as farmers look to become energy producers.
Thursday 25 August 2011
Author: Matthew
Australia’s parliament has endorsed the world’s first national scheme that regulates the creation and trade of carbon credits from farming and forestry, complementing government plans to put a price on carbon emissions from mid-2012.
The laws, the first major bills passed by the government with the Greens’ support in the Senate since the Greens took the balance of power on 1 July, are a precursor to the carbon-price legislation to be put before parliament later this year. Land use including agriculture accounts for 23 per cent of Australian emissions.
REUTERS
Thursday 11 August 2011
Author: Matthew
The English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) has undertaken some great research to begin the difficult process of quantifying agriculture’s emissions. Providing a link between mitigation activities and increased financial returns is a obvious if under-looked method for establishing engagement with farming businesses. Once established that carbon management is not just legislative headache but an opportunity for improved business performance I think we will see an increase in the levels of uptake.
“Beef producers who cut their greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) can see improved returns of up to 50p per kg in their financial margins, with sheep farmers benefiting by 28p, new research shows.
Quantifying the relationship between commercial performance and environmental performance for the first time is one of the key areas of study in Testing the Water – The English Beef and Sheep Production Environmental Road map – Phase 2, published today (December 6, 2010) by EBLEX.
The benchmarking document, which has taken a year of research to compile, also includes the first reliable water usage footprint for the beef and lamb production industry, estimates the industry’s contribution to the landscape and biodiversity in England, and takes a snapshot of the energy and waste performance of the processing sector.
Key findings in the second EBLEX red meat road map include:
- 67 litres of blue* water needed to produce one kg of beef
- 49 litres of blue* water needed to produce one kg of lamb
- 50p per kg improvement in beef producers’ financial margin per 5kg CO2 eq reduction in GHG emissions per kg of live-weight
- 28p per kg improvement in sheep producers’ financial margin per 1kg CO2 eq reduction in GHG emissions per kg of live-weight
- 4 million cubic metres of water used each year in beef and sheep slaughtering and processing.”
For the full report visit: http://www.eblex.org.uk/news/index.aspx?section=7&item=767&category=21
