Carbon Footprinting

Environmental & Turf Services, Inc. has partnered with Andy Staples, president of Staples Golf, to create our own joint program called CARBONSAVE© for golf. His firm is the leading authority of golf course energy efficiency, with a particular focus on irrigation.

Our research suggests that over 60% of a course’s footprint can be attributed to energy use. The next largest contributor is fertilizer and pesticide use. Fortunately, golf course turfgrass, shrubs, etc. contain carbon-sequestrating abilities that benefit our environment by removing potentially harmful greenhouse gasses from the air. Many believe that sequestration can be securitized as carbon credits and one day sold on a carbon market. By determining which areas of your operations are emitting the most carbon and then quantifying the spaces that sequester carbon, we are able to arrive at a carbon footprint. From there, we can then determine the most effective points of action your course can take to reduce your carbon footprint and save (in some cases, perhaps make) money.

Our Process

To perform a carbon footprint analysis, we look at all carbon-emitting processes at your club including energy, water, and fuel use. We also examine what type of fertilizer and chemicals you use, the commute time of your employees, mileage of maintenance equipment, and the delivery distances of products to and from the facility, including Fed Ex shipments. Our analysis incorporates industry-accepted research of carbon-producing processes in the manufacture and distribution of golf facility-related products and utility services.

Our analysis also incorporates national research verifying that golf courses provide an environment whereby carbon is sequestered via plant growth, increases in soil organic carbon and root zone mass, and thatch production. This carbon sequestration mitigates carbon emissions from the use of pesticides, fuel, energy, etc. We perform an in-depth analysis on your planting palette and soil type to determine your course’s sequestration ability. We also provide a complete as-built based on aerial photography which gives a breakdown of total acreages of managed turf, native grasses, trees and shrubs. These areas provide the carbon sequestration that offsets a facility’s total emissions. These two bottom-line numbers allow us to arrive at a carbon footprint number.

If you have any questions about CARBONSAVE or if you would like to discover how we can help your organization meet compliance requirements, we invite you to give us a call at 301-933-4700 today.

View Our Brochure Here