Lou is the owner of Cragend Farm with her husband Shaun, and deals with everything from Holiday Accommodation inquiries to egg collection from the chickens; she is the social media and web design finger-tapper.
Environmental Sustainability and Net Zero policy for Cragend Farm 2024
Community tree planting and tour projects are the main part of our plan to offset carbon usage to the value of approximately £1000 per annum which equates to our carbon footprint we emit currently in cost terms according to reliable calculator sources.
We also plan to harness the water for troughs using pumps and solar for the stock in the fields as a long term plan to make the farm more carbon efficient, using the resources of the natural springs and the Blackburn which runs to the east border of the farm.
Once used by Lord Armstrong of Cragside to power turbines, and hydraulic machinery at the farm, we think it fitting to attempt to try and harness this natural resource for our needs, with plans for solar panels in the long term also.
Definitions of scope 1, 2 and 3 omissions:
Essentially scope 1 and 2 are those emissions that are owned or controlled by a company, whereas scope 3 emissions are the consequence of the activities of the company, but occur from sources, not owned or controlled by It.
Cragend Farm
Scope 1 emissions
Scope 1 covers emissions from sources that an organisation owns or controls directly. For example from burning fuel in a fleet of vehicles, plant and machinery on site, unless they are electronically powered.
Vehicles include: tractor, motorbike, Land Rover, plant, and machinery, chainsaws etc.
B & B and holiday lets: cookers, kettles, hairdryers, TV computers, lights dish and linen clothes washing machines etc.
Water pumps for our spring water UV and filtration system.
Biomass, boiler, burning wood. Distance wood travels is only 1mile.
Scope 2 omissions
Scope 2 omissions are what a company causes indirectly when the energy purchases and uses is produced. For example, if we have any electric vehicles or equipment, the emissions from the generation of the electricity powered by would fall into this category.
Emissions caused by:
Purchase of electricity from the grid. Any contractors. We aim to use solar systems where possible and affordable to assist us.
Scope 3 emissions
Scope 3 encompasses emissions that are not produced by the company itself, and not the result of activities from assets owned or controlled by them, but by those that it’s indirectly responsible for up and down its value chain. The example of this is when we buy use and dispose of products from suppliers.
Scope 3 emissions include all sources, not within scope one and two boundaries
B&B and holiday let waste disposed of by County Council. Split into general and recycling waste
Farm waste sent to recycling plant
Compost or recycle biodegradable the products.
Metal, plastic, glass, oil recycling.
How easy is it to reduce our scope, 1,2 and 3 emissions?
There are lots of considerations beyond emissions alone, such as cost and practicality, but to an extent, we cannot currently choose whether our plant machinery is low or zero emissions, but we can affect how our buildings are warmed and a manufacturers we use. We look at ways to reduce the carbon cost of production processes.
However, a holiday guest cannot control how we will dispose if it’s plastic bottles. Nor can an appliance manufacturer, decree, whether we do or not be most or less eco-friendly setting with our laundry machines dishwashers at a lower temperature etc.
It’s somewhat easier to quantify emissions for scopes one and two for energy use. For example, the companies can source the data needed to convert direct purchases of gas and electricity into the Coquet Valley for the associated greenhouse gases. However, for many organisations, including ourselves, scope three emissions account for by far the highest proportion of the total emissions. Unfortunately these are also usually the hardest to reduced. Some of the actions a company can take to reduce this, is to work with existing suppliers and their customers on solutions to reduce their emissions.
Carbon reduction plan
We have now decided to include a carbon emissions reduction plan, action plan or similarly named plan. It is one step on from a policy, as it sets out actions to reduce emissions and measures are carbon footprint.
The type of heritage we work with means we are limited to how far we can reduce our carbon emissions.
We have the resources and capacity in our organisation to set targets and monitor our carbon emissions.
We feel we have to do as much as we can.
We do not have enough access to effective support and advice to help reduce our carbon emissions. Government and private companies can help assist all businesses to try and reduce their emissions. Education comes into this and courses can be taken to raise awareness.
Our responsible business chart below sets out what responsibility means for us and our commitment and ambitions over the coming years.
Whether it’s making sure young people today become aware of the problem, not just to be solved for tomorrow, but by tackling climate change by reducing our own emissions helping our customers use energy more efficiently or educating those to understand how to have a more softly, softly approach to using energy we can and will take action.
Cragend Farm cannot guarantee but would like to be in Net Zero by 2040 and will endeavour to continue our aim to do so.
Signed Shaun Renwick owner, Cragend Farm,
Lou Renwick owner Cragend Farm.
This responsible business charter is a document that defines and authorizes the project, outlining its objectives and scope:
- Pillar 1 Customer value in Net Zero
- Pillar 2 Environmental footprint commitment
- Pillar 3 Quality workforce that engages in Net Zero
- Pillar 4 Responsible management that engages in Net Zero
- Pillar 5 Strong community awareness and action.
On environmental, ethical, philanthropic and economic levels we aim to integrate these concerns into our business operations and interactions with our customers and suppliers.
The Climate Change Act commits the UK Government by law to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 100% of 1990 levels (net zero) by 2050 and we support that and hope it is achievable.
Ancient Cragend Farm re-modelled by Victorian Lord Armstrong of Cragside to showcase hydraulic engineering. Historic Houses. Rare breed farm.
www.cragendfarm.co.uk
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Find Out More About Cragend
Cragend Farm has a interesting and diverse history, from technical innovations to historic buildings. Tied in closely to the neighbouring Cragside Estate home of Victorian inventor and industrialist Lord Armstrong.