Derby College Group Collaborates to Create Equine Carbon Calculator to Inspire Environmental Action
A consortium of equine organisations including Derby College Group is rallying the industry to play a leading role in addressing the climate crisis and shaping a better future, with the launch of the first nationwide equine carbon calculator.
Pioneered by equine environmental sustainability specialists White Griffin and the Farm Carbon Toolkit in partnership with Derby College Group, Hartpury University and Sparsholt Group, the calculator has been developed to empower equine businesses and horse owners to better understand their environmental impact and take meaningful steps to mitigate it.
The free-to-use tool - accessible here - also identifies opportunities for businesses to minimise their energy costs and maximise their potential to regenerate the countryside.
While carbon footprint tools are prevalent in the agricultural sector and play a pivotal role in government carbon reduction targets, no such tools have been available at scale for equine premises until now.
Without insights into the scale of the challenges and opportunities, the equine industry is hindered in setting meaningful targets. The equine carbon calculator seeks to bridge this gap, empowering stakeholders to make informed decisions for a sustainable future.
Director of White Griffin, Ruth Dancer said: “The equine community holds a deep connection to the natural world, so we have a unique opportunity to safeguard it for future generations. By implementing the equine carbon calculator, we can better understand our emissions and find innovative ways to reduce them, saving money and paving the way for a better future.”
The launch of the carbon calculator marks the beginning of a comprehensive campaign to educate and inspire the equine industry on environmental sustainability. This initiative will be complemented by a suite of resources set to launch in autumn, offering support to stakeholders across the horse racing and equestrian sectors.
It follows a broader industry shift toward a more sustainable future for equestrian and horse racing, underscored by the tangible impacts of climate change on the industry. Following the hottest year on record in 2023 coupled with significant flooding, the UK equine industry suffered significant cancellations across the full spectrum of events, highlighting the urgency of addressing these challenges.
White Griffin's previous reports for the British Horse Racing Authority and the British Equestrian Federation have laid strong foundations for these sustainability initiatives, emphasising the need for tools and resources to support businesses in their sustainability efforts.
Farm Carbon Toolkit project lead, Lizzy Parker said, “after years of supporting agricultural farms with reducing their environmental impact through a clear and easy-to-use tool, we know how important measuring to monitor is. Our calculator allows equine businesses to properly understand their carbon footprint and make the necessary changes to reduce their emissions.”
The equine carbon calculator is the result of a collaborative effort among academic institutions committed to driving real change in the industry.
The project began when Assistant Principle of Derby College Group, Jon Collins, began work on their own carbon footprint and discovered that whilst they were aware of many farm carbon toolkits, they hadn’t been able to find one specifically for equine Speaking with Sparshoalt College Group and Hartpury University, Collins discovered that both organisations were also seeking to develop a tool to support their equine students and businesses and therefore a collaboration was formed in order to pool resources.
Mr Collins said, “I chose Farm Carbon Toolkit to develop the resource because I found their tool to be easiest to use and provided the best user experience. Understanding the busy lives of equine business owners, we knew that we had to develop something that was clear, useful and also provided invaluable insight and comparisons with other equine businesses. We are proud to be delivering this with the support of Landex and will be rolling the tool out at to all students, organisations and interested individuals who are seeking to make a difference in their day to day lives to the environment we all depend on.”
More News From Amber Valley Info
| Salcare Calls for Urgent Support as Food Donations Drop Ahead of Winter Salcare, the Heanor-based charity supporting vulnerable people across Amber Valley, is appealing for urgent c read more | |
| Warm and welcoming spaces grant fund now open for application Community groups across Derbyshire are being invited to apply for funding to set up warm and welcoming spaces to help l read more | |
| Extensive Repairs Now Completed At Iconic Heage Windmill Heage Windmill, the last working stone tower six-sailed windmill in Britain and the only working windmill in Derbyshire prod read more | |
| Ambergate Vauxhall cars event September 28th Sunday September 28th sees the Great British Car Journey at Derwent Works, Ambergate, DE56 2HE, host the great cars from Luton. From a P read more | |
| Ambergate sales Reps cars event September 21st Sunday September 21st sees the Great British Car Journey at Derwent Works, Ambergate, DE56 2HE, host cars from the days of the sales r read more | |
The Amber Valley Info Noticeboard
| Launch Of WOMBLE MANIA! At the Heights of Abraham, Opened by Marcus Robertson, Son of Wombles author, Elisabeth Beresford, officially launched WOMBLE MANIA! at the Heights of Abraha read more | |
| Belper School and Sixth Form Centre Closed Today Due to a significant water leak, resulting in the water being turned off at school, we unfortunately have to close the school today. read more | |
| When you need to call 999 but can't talk When you need to call 999 but can't talk - the ‘silent solution’ can help. Press 55 on your mobile when prompted, to confirm you are in read more | |
| The opening night of the Lights of Abraham Winter Lights Trail The brand new winter lights trail, the 'Lights of Abraham' opened on Friday 22nd November at the Heights of Abraham in read more | |
| Can You Help DREAM Paranormal With Their Research My name is Simon Dean, Lead Investigator of DREAM paranormal and I am looking for your help. read more | |
