Climate Action Reserve’s U.S. Landfill Protocol Version 6.0

Introduction

The U.S. Landfill Protocol, developed by the Climate Action Reserve, is a standardized framework for quantifying, reporting, and verifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions from methane capture and destruction projects at U.S. landfills. Approved by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM), this protocol ensures that emission reductions meet high standards of environmental integrity, credibility, and transparency. This ICVCM approval reinforces the protocol’s alignment with global best practices and its credibility in voluntary carbon markets.

Need and Use

The U.S. Landfill Protocol supports project developers in creating projects that effectively reduce emissions from landfill sites. It includes a framework for calculating and verifying emission reductions generated by capturing methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from landfills and using or destroying it. This protocol helps landfill operators and project developers earn credits that can be used to offset emissions in compliance and voluntary carbon markets.

Monitoring and Quantification Approach

The U.S. Landfill Protocol specifies detailed requirements for calculating baseline and project emissions to assess net GHG emission reductions. Key components include:

Methane Capture and Destruction: Continuous monitoring of landfill gas (LFG) collection and destruction is required, using calibrated equipment to measure LFG flow and methane concentration, ensuring accurate quantification of emissions destroyed.
Baseline Emissions: Baseline emissions are calculated based on the methane emissions that would have occurred without the project, minus any methane oxidized by soil bacteria or destroyed by any existing destruction devices. These calculations use specific discount factors for oxidation and other adjustments according to landfill characteristics and monitoring frequency.
Project Emissions: Project emissions include any emissions from the energy used to operate the landfill gas collection and destruction systems, as well as emissions from fossil fuels or supplemental energy sources.
Emission Reductions: Net emission reductions are calculated by subtracting project emissions from baseline emissions, providing a clear assessment of GHG reductions achieved through methane destruction.

This structured approach allows for consistent, transparent, and conservative reporting of GHG emission reductions in line with the Climate Action Reserve's requirements.

Project Eligibility and Additionality

Projects must meet specific eligibility requirements to qualify under this protocol:

Location: Projects must be located at landfills in the U.S., including tribal lands and territories.
Project Start Date: The project start date should be defined by the first instance of landfill gas destruction, with project submission required within 12 months of this date.
Additionality is demonstrated through the performance standard test (based on baseline conditions) and the legal requirement test (ensuring no regulatory mandates already require methane destruction). Only landfill projects that collect and destroy methane beyond regulatory requirements qualify for additionality, ensuring that GHG reductions are surplus to business-as-usual scenarios.

Project Type

This protocol applies to projects that aim to reduce methane emissions from U.S. landfills by capturing and utilizing or destroying methane gas. Only projects that meet the Climate Action Reserve’s eligibility criteria and have not issued credits under other GHG programs are eligible.

Demo Video

Youtube

Policy Workflow

The policy workflow replicates the procedural steps required for landfill gas projects, covering project registration, additionality demonstration, and the submission of monitoring reports to claim carbon credits.

Policy Import

This policy is available for import via GitHub or IPFS timestamp.

Available Roles

Project Developer: Responsible for overall project management, documentation submission, and coordination with verification bodies.
Verifier(s): Independent third-party verifiers who assess project data and ensure compliance with protocol requirements.
Standard Registry: The governing body that maintains project records, manages reporting, and approves credit issuance.

Important Schemas

Project Submission Form: This form provides a comprehensive overview of the project, including landfill site details, baseline emissions, monitoring plans, and stakeholder consultations. It serves as the foundational document for project registration with the Climate Action Reserve.
Verification Report: Submitted by an independent third-party verifier, this report evaluates the accuracy of the emissions reductions claimed by the project. It includes findings on project compliance, monitoring data, and any identified discrepancies or recommendations for improvement.
Emission Reductions Report: This document provides a summary of the emission reductions accomplished by the project. It details the methodologies used, calculations used, and calculation results.
Attestation of Title Form: Signed by the Project Developer, this form certifies ownership of the project’s GHG reductions. Clear ownership documentation ensures that CRTs are issued only to entities with verified rights to claim these reductions.
Attestation of Voluntary Implementation: This attestation is signed by the Project Developer to confirm that the project’s landfill gas collection and destruction activities go beyond any regulatory requirements. It is submitted prior to verification, ensuring that GHG reductions are genuinely additional to what would have occurred under existing legal mandates.
Attestation of Regulatory Compliance: This attestation confirms that the project complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations (e.g., environmental, safety). The Project Developer must disclose any instances of non-compliance to the verifier, who assesses the impact on credit issuance.
Environmental Safeguards: This schema ensures that project activities align with environmental best practices, minimizing unintended impacts on local ecosystems, air, water, and soil quality. The Project Developer must document steps taken to prevent adverse environmental effects, such as controlling potential pollutants, managing resource use, and protecting nearby habitats. This schema may also include periodic environmental impact assessments as part of ongoing compliance and verification.

Token (Climate Reserve Tonnes - CRTs)

Each CRT represents one metric tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) reduced or avoided through the approved project activities.

Step By Step

Import the policy using IPFS or Policy File. Once imported, you will be redirected to the policy configurator.

Set the policy to Dry Run or Publish it using the dropdown. Then select “Go” or “Register”.

Create a new user account and assign their role as the Project Developer.

The Project Developer can click 'Create Project' to submit the Project Submission Form.

The Project Developer can also submit a Project Diagram.

Return to the administrator account to review the Project Submission Form and the Project Diagram for completeness and approve both submissions.

Now, we will create a new user to add a verifier account.

The Verifier must complete a NOVA/COI form and submit it to the Administrator.

Log in to the Administrator account and approve the NOVA/COI form. This policy also allows the Administrator to identify a conflict of interest (COI) as outlined in the workflow above.

Once the NOVA/COI form has been approved with no COIs identified you can log in to the Project Developer account and assign a Verifier to the project. This will allow the verifier to see the project submission form.

The Project Developer can submit all the forms outlined in the project documents tab, assigning the third-party verifier to each form.

Using the assigned Verifier account, they can now review and approve all the project documents. Once approved they can complete and submit the Verification Report.