The California Climate Action Registry has created the Livestock Project Protocol, a guideline for creating high-quality greenhouse gas reduction projects by installing methane gas digesters on swine and dairy farms.

By capturing methane with a digester, farms can combust and destroy the gas and sell the reductions (offsets). Farms can also power their operations with the methane and cut energy bills.

“This protocol can be a positive incentive to help farmers protect the climate,” reports Paul Martin of the Western United Dairymen.

“Agriculturally based methane capture projects are an important source of emissions reductions while also providing farmers and California communities with local environmental benefits such as cleaner air and renewable energy,” explains Eron Bloomgarden, U.S. director of EcoSecurities.

The Livestock Management Protocol is available for public use and is published on the California Climate Action Registry Web site.