SAI Platform has published a new white paper reviewing 17 of the agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) quantification solutions used across its membership, providing greater clarity on how different approaches measure emissions and removals and where they can be applied.  

As expectations for credible climate reporting continue to grow, understanding how greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals are quantified has become critical. These methodologies underpin a wide range of sustainability activities, from Scope 3 reporting and data sharing to farmer incentive schemes and the transfer of farm-level environmental outcomes across value chains. 

To support members in navigating this complexity, the white paper compares the methodologies, quantification approaches and system boundaries used by the 17 solutions, helping users understand what each solution has been designed to measure.  

A key finding is that there is no universal solution. Tools have been developed for different purposes, ranging from farm-level decision-making and monitoring to corporate reporting, product carbon footprinting and scientific modelling. As a result, outputs are not always directly comparable and selecting the most appropriate solution depends on the intended use case.  

As a member-led organisation, SAI Platform undertook this work in response to priorities identified by its Crops Climate Core Group. Members highlighted the need for greater clarity around GHG measurement systems, recognising that a common understanding of quantification approaches is an important foundation for addressing wider challenges across agricultural value chains.  

The publication also marks the first step towards the development of SAI Platform’s Crops Carbon Toolbox, a future knowledge hub designed to help farmers, companies and other stakeholders navigate agricultural GHG accounting. Planned resources include practical guidance, decision-support tools and information to improve transparency and understanding across the sector.  

As agricultural GHG accounting continues to evolve, improving confidence, consistency and interoperability between measurement approaches will be increasingly important. Through collaborative initiatives such as this, SAI Platform is helping to build a clearer understanding of the tools and approaches available, supporting greater alignment and more effective action across agricultural supply chains.