Tools & Resources

Mitigating post-harvest food loss can result in economic benefits for farmers, increase food security, and reduce methane emissions from organic waste. An estimated 30 percent of food produced in India is lost or wasted, despite the country ranking 94th out of 100 on the 2020 Global Hunger Index (Bagai, 2020). Almost half of post-harvest food losses in India are attributed to the lack of a reliable cold chain, the integrated network of refrigerated storage facilities, transportation, and merchandising technologies that maintain food quality moving from harvest to the consumer (Peters et al., 2019). Cold-chain technologies are energy intensive and typically powered by fossil fuels. In recent years, there has been a focus on clean energy powered cold-chain solutions, including renewable energy powered cold storage facilities that store commodities immediately after harvest.  

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted a financial pre-feasibility assessment on the potential for direct biogas-powered cold storage facilities in Maharashtra, India. EPA used the Global Methane Initiative’s (GMI) Organics Economics (OrganEcs) and Anaerobic Digestion Screening Tool to assess an anaerobic digestion system processing livestock manure into biogas which is then used by an absorption cooling technology to generate off-grid cold storage without electricity. Data collected from farmers in Maharashtra included the potential crops available for cold storage and commodity prices. Project developers and technical experts provided data on the facility capital and operating costs, as well as sale prices for biogas, digestate, and cold storage fees. 

Related Resources

• OrganEcs – Cost Estimating Tool for Anaerobic Digestion
• Biogas-Powered Cold Storage Facility: India Financial Model
• Anaerobic Digestion Screening Tool: Biogas-Powered Cold Storage Facility India

The Solid Waste Emissions Estimation Tool (SWEET) is an Excel-based tool that quantifies emissions of methane, black carbon, and other pollutants from sources in the municipal solid waste sector. The tool provides emissions and emissions reduction estimates at the project-, source-, and municipality-level. Cities can use this information for multiple purposes, including establishing a baseline scenario, comparing a baseline scenario to as many as four alternative scenarios, analyzing specific projects for potential emissions reductions, estimating the contribution of activities in the waste sector to overall city emissions reduction goals, and tracking progress over time, among other things.

SWEET was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the auspices of the Global Methane Initiative and in support of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

Testimonials

Download SWEET

• SWEET v 4.0.2 (English, Excel)
• Herramienta de Estimación de Emisiones de Residuos Sólidos (SWEET) v 4.0.2 (Spanish, Excel)
• SWEET User Manual (Doc)

Trainings

Case Studies

• Examining health and climate impacts of solid waste management in Accra, Ghana (PDF)
• Estimating short-lived climate pollutants from municipal solid waste in Tyre Caza, Lebanon (PDF)

The Solid Waste Emissions Estimation Tool (SWEET) is an Excel-based tool that quantifies emissions of methane, black carbon, and other pollutants from sources in the municipal solid waste sector. The tool provides emissions and emissions reduction estimates at the project-, source-, and municipality-level. Cities can use this information for multiple purposes, including establishing a baseline scenario, comparing a baseline scenario to as many as four alternative scenarios, analyzing specific projects for potential emissions reductions, estimating the contribution of activities in the waste sector to overall city emissions reduction goals, and tracking progress over time, among other things.

SWEET was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the auspices of the Global Methane Initiative and in support of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

Testimonials

Download SWEET

• SWEET v 4.0.2 (English, Excel)
• Herramienta de Estimación de Emisiones de Residuos Sólidos (SWEET) v 4.0.2 (Spanish, Excel)
• SWEET User Manual (Doc)

Trainings

Case Studies

• Examining health and climate impacts of solid waste management in Accra, Ghana (PDF)
• Estimating short-lived climate pollutants from municipal solid waste in Tyre Caza, Lebanon (PDF)

The Biogas and Gasification Matchmaking Platform facilitates networking among international providers and users of biogas and bio-methane technologies. Developed by the Digital Global Biogas Cooperation (DiBiCoo), the online platform acts as a database of biogas and gasification related stakeholders.

The platform:

• Connects biogas technology providers, project developers, and investors
• Assists with finding the most suitable companies for collaboration
• Helps to identify the best technologies for projects
• Increases the visibility of companies working in the biogas and gasification sectors
• Enables markets in developing and emerging countries to import sustainable biogas and biomethane technologies

Get started by joining the platform. With your free account, you can explore companies, business opportunities, and the knowledge base.

The Global Methane Initiative’s Policy Maker’s Handbook for Measurement, Reporting, and Verification in the Biogas Sector can help government decision-makers overcome barriers in accounting for emissions and emissions reductions from biogas projects.

The handbook serves as a high-level resource, intended primarily for national governments, on how applying best practices for project-level Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) in the biogas sector can support national-level objectives such as developing robust greenhouse gas emissions inventories; enhancing targets, policies, and actions in nationally determined contributions for emissions reductions; demonstrating progress toward sustainable development goals; and increasing access to external funding sources to promote economic growth.

This handbook was developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on behalf of the Global Methane Initiative.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, on behalf of the Global Methane Initiative (GMI), developed the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Screening Tool to assist stakeholders in assessing the potential feasibility of an AD project.

The AD Screening Tool enables users to conduct pre-feasibility analyses to evaluate AD opportunities for a variety of feedstocks, including organic municipal solid waste, livestock manure, agricultural residues, and wastewater. The tool generates the following outputs:

• Annual biogas and digestate production
• Project methane emission reductions
• Potential end uses of biogas, including estimates for electricity production, natural gas production, cooking gas potential, and home heating potential

This tool is intended to help project developers, government agencies, financial institutions, and other stakeholders conduct an initial screening assessment of the technical and financial feasibility of proposed AD projects.

AD Screening Tool User Manual

About the tool

The Landfill Gas Screening Tool’s goal is to assist cities in assessing the potential feasibility of a landfill gas energy (LFGE) project. It provides a preliminary estimate of how much landfill gas (LFG) a site could collect, and whether that fuel supply is likely sufficient to support a modest-sized LFGE project. LFGE project types include combusting LFG directly to produce heat (e.g., for industrial applications), using LFG to generate electricity, and - in some cases - converting LFG into a compressed natural gas (CNG) to fuel vehicles.

The Landfill Gas Screening Tool was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in support of the Global Methane Initiative and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

Downloads & resources

• Download the Landfill Gas Screening Tool (LFG-ST)
• LFG-ST User Manual

About the tool

The Landfill Gas Screening Tool’s goal is to assist cities in assessing the potential feasibility of a landfill gas energy (LFGE) project. It provides a preliminary estimate of how much landfill gas (LFG) a site could collect, and whether that fuel supply is likely sufficient to support a modest-sized LFGE project. LFGE project types include combusting LFG directly to produce heat (e.g., for industrial applications), using LFG to generate electricity, and - in some cases - converting LFG into a compressed natural gas (CNG) to fuel vehicles.

The Landfill Gas Screening Tool was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in support of the Global Methane Initiative and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

Downloads & resources

• Download the Landfill Gas Screening Tool (LFG-ST)
• LFG-ST User Manual

Organic waste management (i.e. composting and anaerobic digestion) represent a key opportunity for achieving the reduction of short-lived climate pollutants from the municipal solid waste sector. Planning and developing such projects requires a detailed understanding of the costs involved in constructing and operating organic waste management facilities.

OrganEcs is a tool for estimating the costs associated with an organic waste management project. It provides planning-level assistance to local governments, waste professionals, policymakers, facility operators, and project developers to help them make financial decisions about their potential organic waste management projects.

OrganEcs was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the auspices of the Global Methane Initiative and in support of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. 

Downloads and Resources

• OrganEcs - Compost Version 3.1
• OrganEcs - Anaerobic Digestion Version 3.1
• OrganEcs User Manual

The GMI Oil & Gas Subcommittee virtual meeting was held on Thursday, 24 June 2021.

The meeting featured a review of GMI activities and accomplishments, including the recent rechartering of GMI through 2031, and an interactive discussion to identify priorities of the Oil & Gas Subcommittee to aid the development of the Subcommittee Action Plan 2021-2024.

A Call to Action on Methane: an international dialogue hosted by the Global Methane Initiative (GMI) was held on Thursday, 3 June 2021.

This event aimed to raise international awareness of the critical need to reduce methane emissions, emphasize opportunities for international leaders in industry, private sector, and government to take action to reduce methane, and celebrate the recharter of the Global Methane Initiative for another 10 years.

Distinguished members of the methane mitigation community presented keynote addresses and participated in discussions regarding methane mitigation policies, global trends in the energy sector, and opportunities for action on methane. The agenda and information about the speakers are available on the event website.

A recording and transcript of the event is available at https://globalmethane.org/calltoaction/

The principles outlined in the best practices document are intended to provide guidance to complement existing legal and regulatory frameworks. The objective of the document is to encourage the development of post-mining projects to reduce the overall emissions attributable to the coal mining life cycle by optimizing recovery and use of methane that would otherwise be released to the atmosphere. The best practices guidance is available in English, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian.

The principles outlined in the best practices document are intended to provide guidance to complement existing legal and regulatory frameworks. The objective of the document is to encourage the development of post-mining projects to reduce the overall emissions attributable to the coal mining life cycle by optimizing recovery and use of methane that would otherwise be released to the atmosphere. The best practices guidance is available in English, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian.

The principles outlined in the best practices document are intended to provide guidance to complement existing legal and regulatory frameworks. The objective of the document is to encourage the development of post-mining projects to reduce the overall emissions attributable to the coal mining life cycle by optimizing recovery and use of methane that would otherwise be released to the atmosphere. The best practices guidance is available in English, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian.

The principles outlined in the best practices document are intended to provide guidance to complement existing legal and regulatory frameworks. The objective of the document is to encourage the development of post-mining projects to reduce the overall emissions attributable to the coal mining life cycle by optimizing recovery and use of methane that would otherwise be released to the atmosphere. The best practices guidance is available in English, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian.

GMI provided technical and financial support in developing this updated version of the Best Practice Guidance for Effective Methane Drainage and Use in Coal Mines. This document provides accessible, high-level guidance for senior corporate, government, and financial decision-makers – all of whom play an integral role in decisions to implement best practices. Recommended principles and standards on coal mine methane (CMM) capture and use are explained clearly and succinctly to provide decision-makers with a solid base of understanding from which to direct policy and commercial decisions. Such knowledge is critical to minimize risks and the environmental impact of CMM emissions.

The principles outlined in this document are intended to provide guidance to complement existing legal and regulatory frameworks and to support the development of safer and more effective practices where industry practice and regulation continue to evolve. Although intended to support performance- and principles-based regulatory programs, the Best Practices Guidance can also complement more prescriptive regulation and can support a transition to performance-based regulation.

This Best Practices Guidance is available for download in English, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Russian.

GMI provided technical and financial support in developing this updated version of the Best Practice Guidance for Effective Methane Drainage and Use in Coal Mines. This document provides accessible, high-level guidance for senior corporate, government, and financial decision-makers – all of whom play an integral role in decisions to implement best practices. Recommended principles and standards on coal mine methane (CMM) capture and use are explained clearly and succinctly to provide decision-makers with a solid base of understanding from which to direct policy and commercial decisions. Such knowledge is critical to minimize risks and the environmental impact of CMM emissions.

The principles outlined in this document are intended to provide guidance to complement existing legal and regulatory frameworks and to support the development of safer and more effective practices where industry practice and regulation continue to evolve. Although intended to support performance- and principles-based regulatory programs, the Best Practices Guidance can also complement more prescriptive regulation and can support a transition to performance-based regulation.

This Best Practices Guidance is available for download in English, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Russian.

GMI provided technical and financial support in developing this updated version of the Best Practice Guidance for Effective Methane Drainage and Use in Coal Mines. This document provides accessible, high-level guidance for senior corporate, government, and financial decision-makers – all of whom play an integral role in decisions to implement best practices. Recommended principles and standards on coal mine methane (CMM) capture and use are explained clearly and succinctly to provide decision-makers with a solid base of understanding from which to direct policy and commercial decisions. Such knowledge is critical to minimize risks and the environmental impact of CMM emissions.

The principles outlined in this document are intended to provide guidance to complement existing legal and regulatory frameworks and to support the development of safer and more effective practices where industry practice and regulation continue to evolve. Although intended to support performance- and principles-based regulatory programs, the Best Practices Guidance can also complement more prescriptive regulation and can support a transition to performance-based regulation.

View the Polish version of this Best Practices Guidance online. It is also available for download in English, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Russian.

GMI provided technical and financial support in developing this updated version of the Best Practice Guidance for Effective Methane Drainage and Use in Coal Mines. This document provides accessible, high-level guidance for senior corporate, government, and financial decision-makers – all of whom play an integral role in decisions to implement best practices. Recommended principles and standards on coal mine methane (CMM) capture and use are explained clearly and succinctly to provide decision-makers with a solid base of understanding from which to direct policy and commercial decisions. Such knowledge is critical to minimize risks and the environmental impact of CMM emissions.

The principles outlined in this document are intended to provide guidance to complement existing legal and regulatory frameworks and to support the development of safer and more effective practices where industry practice and regulation continue to evolve. Although intended to support performance- and principles-based regulatory programs, the Best Practices Guidance can also complement more prescriptive regulation and can support a transition to performance-based regulation.

This Best Practices Guidance is available for download in English, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Russian.

GMI provided technical and financial support in developing this updated version of the Best Practice Guidance for Effective Methane Drainage and Use in Coal Mines. This document provides accessible, high-level guidance for senior corporate, government, and financial decision-makers – all of whom play an integral role in decisions to implement best practices. Recommended principles and standards on coal mine methane (CMM) capture and use are explained clearly and succinctly to provide decision-makers with a solid base of understanding from which to direct policy and commercial decisions. Such knowledge is critical to minimize risks and the environmental impact of CMM emissions.

The principles outlined in this document are intended to provide guidance to complement existing legal and regulatory frameworks and to support the development of safer and more effective practices where industry practice and regulation continue to evolve. Although intended to support performance- and principles-based regulatory programs, the Best Practices Guidance can also complement more prescriptive regulation and can support a transition to performance-based regulation.

This Best Practices Guidance is available for download in English, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Russian.

GMI provided technical and financial support in developing this updated version of the Best Practice Guidance for Effective Methane Drainage and Use in Coal Mines. This document provides accessible, high-level guidance for senior corporate, government, and financial decision-makers – all of whom play an integral role in decisions to implement best practices. Recommended principles and standards on coal mine methane (CMM) capture and use are explained clearly and succinctly to provide decision-makers with a solid base of understanding from which to direct policy and commercial decisions. Such knowledge is critical to minimize risks and the environmental impact of CMM emissions.

The principles outlined in this document are intended to provide guidance to complement existing legal and regulatory frameworks and to support the development of safer and more effective practices where industry practice and regulation continue to evolve. Although intended to support performance- and principles-based regulatory programs, the Best Practices Guidance can also complement more prescriptive regulation and can support a transition to performance-based regulation.

This Best Practices Guidance is available for download in English, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Russian.