# How do we calculate the carbon footprint of a lift irrigation scheme?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/lift-irrigation-scheme-electricity-emissions

Lift irrigation pumps water uphill, so electricity dominates. Multiply metered kWh at each pumping station by 0.710 kg CO2 per kWh, then divide by water delivered or hectares served. Pump efficiency and the height lifted drive the figure.

## Data

- kWh per pumping station from the meter.
- Water delivered, in million cubic metres.
- Area irrigated.

## Cut it

Efficient pumps, trimmed impellers and fewer leaks in rising mains cut kWh per cubic metre.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible reads electricity bills (CEA grid factor 0.710 kg CO2 per kWh, CO2 Baseline Database version 21.0) and diesel, LPG and gas invoices (IPCC 2006 defaults) into a dated, fingerprinted Scope 1 and 2 record for each site. Intensity per unit uses the activity count you enter, and estimates are labelled as estimates.

- [Pump efficiency test](https://senseible.earth/answers/pump-efficiency-test-and-replacement-savings)
- [Electric irrigation pump per acre](https://senseible.earth/answers/electric-irrigation-pump-emissions-per-acre)

Sources: [GHG Protocol Corporate Standard](https://ghgprotocol.org/corporate-standard), [CEA CO2 Baseline Database for the Indian Power Sector](https://cea.nic.in/cdm-co2-baseline-database/?lang=en)

Last reviewed 2026-10-22.