Farming for Carbon and Nature (FCN) is an innovative and high-integrity emissions reduction programme that enables universities and colleges to support a just transition to regenerative farming whilst facilitating meaningful student engagement activities.  

Much of the 35,000 ha of land owned by universities and colleges in the UK is farmed, and the agricultural sector contributes significantly to the UK's GHG emissions and poor biodiversity. Unavoidable scope 3 emissions are a key challenge for the tertiary education sector, and there are not enough credible carbon credits available to offset all of these, so other approaches are needed. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and Gold Standard recommend that organisations adopt Beyond Value Chain Mitigation (BVCM) - introducing an internal carbon fee and channeling the funds into projects, such as FCN, with positive outcomes for climate, nature and people.

Between 2021-2024, SOS-UK has worked with over 35 representatives from universities, colleges, farms and food & farming organisations to develop and pilot the FCN project, ensuring it meets the needs of the various stakeholders involved. Pilot project funding included Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF).

• Follows SBTi guidance on achieving net zero with co-benefits for nature and people
• Increases the resilience and viability of university and college owned farmland
• Creates opportunities for pioneering multi-institution research in to soil carbon storage
• Enriches student experience through informal curriculum learning and access to nature
• Evidences nature recovery on university/college-owned land and contributes to national datasets (optional programme bolt-on)

See our Farming for Carbon and Nature overview to learn about our progress and find out more about getting involved.

If you would like to be kept up to date on the progress of Farming for Carbon & Nature, or have any questions, please email us.