The Livestock Project Reporting Protocol and Livestock Project Verification Protocol provide guidance to account for, report, and verify GHG emissions reductions associated with installing a manure biogas control system for livestock operations, such as dairy cattle and swine farms. The Livestock Project Protocols are available for public use and are applicable in California and nationwide. Project developers that install manure biogas capture and combustion technologies will use this protocol to register GHG reductions with the Registry. These protocols were first adopted by the California Registry Board of Directors in June 2007.
***New Livestock Project Reporting and Verification Protocols Now Available***
The California Registry is pleased to post the Livestock Project Reporting Protocol Version 2.1 and Livestock Project Verification Protocol Version 2.0. Following the adoption of the first version of the Livestock Project Protocols in June 2007, the California Registry received numerous constructive comments as the Protocols were put to use for real-world projects. Utilizing this feedback, as well as interaction with stakeholders, updated versions of the Livestock Project Protocols were drafted in June 2008. Following a public comment period highlighted by a joint public workshop with the California Air Resources Board in July 2008, public comments were incorporated into a final draft of the Livestock Project Reporting and Verification Protocols. The latest versions of the Livestock Project Protocols were adopted by the Board of the California Registry on August 12th, 2008, and are now available for public use.
The California Registry received numerous constructive public comments during the formal public comment period that ended July 25th, 2008. The California Registry greatly appreciates the questions, comments, and suggestions put forth during the comment period. All comments have been addressed and incorporated into the protocols where appropriate. To see a summary of comments and responses, use the following link: Comment Summary. To retain complete transparency, all public comments are accessible below.
Public Comment Letters:
| AgRefresh |
| California Department of Food and Agriculture |
| Daniel Farchy (project developer) |
| Environmenal Power Corporation and Microgy, Inc. |
| TerraPass |
| Western United Dairymen |
If you have questions about the Protocol or the update process, contact Syd Partridge at 213-891-1444 x 112 or syd@caclimateregistry.org.
Overview of Protocol Development Process
To promote the positive contribution by the agriculture community to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the Registry is developing protocols that provide guidance to report and certify GHG reductions. We will initially focus on projects that capture and destroy methane emissions from livestock operations through the installation of an anaerobic digester. The users of the protocol will include dairy cattle, beef cattle, and swine farmers. Our objective in producing a livestock manure management project protocol is twofold: (1) facilitate activities that reduce GHG emissions by dairy, swine, and beef cattle farmers; and (2) assist livestock owners take advantage of opportunities in the emerging GHG, or carbon-offset, market. Project protocols provide guidance to assess the impact of an emission reduction activity and provide steps to credibly, transparently, and practically account for, report, and verify the resulting GHG reductions. Ultimately, project protocols enable project developers and GHG programs to demonstrate that the effects of the emission reduction activity are real, surplus, and verifiable.
Key Milestones
This following article describes the Registry’s livestock manure management project protocol and its development process:
The California Climate Action Registry’s Livestock Manure Management Project Protocol
Literature Review
The following matrix summarizes the literature https://www.caclimateregistry.org/resources reviewed:
Resource Review Matrix (Excel)
The following documents were included in the Registry’s protocol development literature review:
Workgroup Participants
| Sam Hitz | California Climate Action Registry |
| Mike McCormick | California Climate Action Registry |
| Patrick Gaffney | California Air Resources Board |
| Kitty Howard | California Air Resources Board |
| Doug Thompson | California Air Resources Board |
| Dan Weller | California Air Resources Board |
| Steve Schaffer | California Department of Food and Agriculture |
| Susan Wood | AgCert |
| William Salas | Applied Geosolutions |
| Cynthia Cory | CA Farm Bureau |
| John Shears | CEERT |
| Suzy Friedman | Environmental Defense |
| Martha Davis | Inland Empire Utility Agency |
| Scott Leloni | Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rual Initiatives |
| Allen Dusault | Sustainable Conservation |
| Michael Boccadoro | The Dolphin Group |
| Melissa Weitz | U.S. EPA |
| Frank Mitleohner | UC Davis |
| Paul Martin | Western United Dairymen |
| Paul Sausa | Western United Dairymen |
Please contact Derek Markolf with questions or comments derek@caclimateregistry.org