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Offsets and Green Power Purchases Guidance
Companies often choose to expand their greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory boundaries to include optional emissions sources over which they have some control. Companies may also want to calculate emissions reductions from offset investments and renewable energy purchases for goal-tracking purposes. The following modules provide GHG accounting guidance pertaining to optional emissions tracking.
Offset Investments: This module is used to address eligibility of projects as GHG offsets and to provide measurement and monitoring guidelines for offset projects.
- Overview: Using Offsets to Help Climate Leaders Achieve Their GHG Reduction Goals (PDF) (8 pp, 175K, About PDF)
- Appendix A: Accounting Methodologies
Appendix A includes Climate Leaders Offset Project Methodologies for specific project types which provide more detailed guidance applicable to each project type.- Captured Methane End Use (new project type) (PDF) (23 pp, 244K) August 2008
- Commercial Boiler (PDF) (21 pp, 233K) August 2008
- Industrial Boiler (PDF) (28 pp, 505K) August 2008
- Landfill Methane (PDF) (21 pp, 291K) August 2008
- Manure Management: Anaerobic Digester (PDF) (27 pp, 350K) August 2008
- Reforestation/Afforestation
- Project accounting methodology (PDF) (22 pp, 201K) August 2008
- Reforestation/Afforestation Project Carbon Online Estimator Tool (RAPCOE)
The RAPCOE tool currently includes calculations of leakage rates by region. At this time, however, projects would not be subject to a leakage deduction based on these rates.
- Transit Bus Efficiency (PDF) (21 pp, 256K) August 2008
- Appendix B: Sample Request for Proposals (PDF) (4 pp, 86K) | (MS Word) (4 pp, 218K)
Appendix B includes a sample Request for Proposals (RFP) to assist Partners that wish to purchase GHG reductions rather than developing or investing in their own GHG mitigation projects.
- Appendix C: Project Design Document Template (PDF) (5 pp, 73K)
Appendix C includes guidelines and a project design document template for Partners that wish to develop and propose: 1) a project using a new accounting methodology based on a “performance standard” approach for a project type for which EPA has not yet developed a Climate Leaders Offset Project Methodology; or 2) propose a project using a new or different data set (e.g., either an alternate domestic dataset or data for a project outside the U.S.) for use with a Climate Leaders Offset Project Methodology. Partners should be aware that the review and approval process for a new project accounting methodology or data set is likely to be more time and data intensive for Partners than the use of a Climate Leaders Offset Project Methodology.
- Appendix D: Offset Project Submission Checklist (MS Word) (4 pp, 231K)
Appendix D includes a checklist that may be submitted for Initial Review (prior to investment or purchase of offsets) or Full Review (after investment or purchase, for use towards meeting GHG reduction goals). Initial Review Submissions should include information for Sections A-C (item numbers 1-16) of this document. Full Review Submissions should include information for all Sections (A-F, item numbers 1-24) of this document.
Green Power Purchases (PDF) (20 pp, 281K): This module is used to identify and estimate reductions from purchases of green power or Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).