Garden Carbon Emissions Calculator

Each source is calculated as an activity value multiplied by an emission factor:

• Electricity: Emissions = kWh × (kg CO₂e per kWh)
• Fuel: Emissions = liters × (kg CO₂e per liter)
• Fertilizer: Emissions = (kg N × EF_N) + (kg P₂O₅ × EF_P) + (kg K₂O × EF_K)
• Irrigation pumping: Pump kWh = water m³ × kWh per m³; Emissions = pump kWh × electricity factor
• Transport: Emissions = distance km × vehicle factor (kg CO₂e per km)
• Net total: Net = Gross total − credits

For best results, replace default factors with local or supplier-provided values.

1. Enter your garden area and season length to normalize results.
2. Add electricity and fuel used for tools, pumps, and lighting.
3. Enter nutrient amounts as N, P₂O₅, and K₂O where possible.
4. Fill irrigation water and pump energy if you use pumping.
5. Include transport distance for deliveries and market trips.
6. Add credits only if you can justify the estimate.
7. Press Calculate to see totals, per-area, and per-day values.
8. Export CSV or PDF for records, clients, or reporting.

Understanding boundaries and reporting units

This calculator estimates greenhouse gas emissions for gardening activities over a defined season. Results are shown as total kilograms of CO₂e, plus intensity metrics per square meter and per day. Set the garden area and season length first so the intensity values stay comparable across projects. Use the same boundary each time: include what you control, and note major practice changes.

Electricity and pumping loads

Electricity emissions are calculated from your tool, lighting, and charging consumption multiplied by a grid factor. Irrigation pumping is handled as water volume times pump energy per cubic meter, then converted to emissions using the same grid factor. If irrigation is gravity fed, set pump energy to zero. For pressure systems, fixing leaks and watering at cooler hours can cut pumping energy.

Fuel use for equipment

Small engines can dominate footprint in maintenance-heavy landscapes. Enter gasoline and diesel volumes for mowers, trimmers, generators, and site equipment. Default factors represent typical combustion emissions per liter, but you can replace them with vendor or national inventory values for tighter reporting. Switching to electric equipment moves emissions to electricity, so the grid factor becomes a key driver.

Fertilizer and soil amendment impacts

Fertilizer impacts reflect upstream production and typical field losses by nutrient mass. Report nitrogen as kg N, phosphate as kg P₂O₅, and potash as kg K₂O. Materials such as peat or coco-peat are included separately because sourcing and processing can carry significant embodied emissions. Soil tests and split applications often reduce nutrient use while maintaining yield and plant health.

Transport, waste, and credits

Transport covers deliveries and hauling using distance multiplied by a vehicle factor. Green waste handling represents chipping, collection, or disposal intensity as kg waste times a factor. Credits can represent justified sequestration or avoided emissions from compost, biochar, or tree planting. Keep credits conservative and document assumptions. Use the export files to compare scenarios and set reduction targets for the next season, for clients, audits, and internal planning.

1) What emission factor should I use for electricity?

Use your local grid factor if available from a utility or national inventory. If you cannot find one, keep the default and run sensitivity tests by lowering and raising the factor to see how results change.

2) Do I enter fertilizer as product weight or nutrient weight?

Enter nutrient weight: kilograms of N, P₂O₅, and K₂O. If your bag lists percentages, multiply product mass by the percentage to convert to nutrient mass before entering values.

3) How do I estimate irrigation pumping energy?

Use pump power and runtime to estimate kWh, or enter kWh per m³ based on pump curves and pressure. If water is gravity fed or municipal pressure, set pump energy to zero.

4) Can compost or trees be counted as credits?

Yes, but only with defensible assumptions. Use conservative sequestration values, record the method, and avoid double counting. Credits should never exceed what you can reasonably justify for the same season.

5) Why does transport matter for a garden footprint?

Soil, mulch, and plant deliveries can add emissions, especially with repeated trips or heavy loads. Combine orders, choose closer suppliers, and improve vehicle efficiency to reduce transport intensity.

6) What is the best way to lower net emissions?

Target the largest line items first: reduce fuel use, optimize irrigation, and right-size fertilizer. Replace peat where possible, compost green waste on-site, and track results each season using the exports.