Offset Credit System Protocols

• Project guidance 
  • Public comments and responses
  • Offset project plan
  • Offset project report
  • Third party verification report
  • Statutory Declaration (new projects)
  • Statutory Declaration (delisted projects)
• Protocol guidance
• Verification guidance 
  • Public Comments

• Aerobic Composting Projects²
• Aerobic Landfill Bioreactor Projects²
• Afforestation Projects (retracted for revisions)
• Anaerobic Decomposition of Agricultural Materials
• Anaerobic Treatment of Wastewater Projects²
• Biofuel Production and Usage¹
• Conservation Cropping
• Conversion of Drilling Rigs from Diesel-Electric to High Line Electricity Source
• Direct Reductions in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Arising from Changes in Forest Harvest Practices
• Distributed Renewable Energy Generation
• Diversion of Biomass to Energy from Biomass Combustion Facilities²
• Emissions Reductions from Dairy Cattle
• Energy Efficiency for Commercial and Institutional Buildings
• Energy efficiency Projects
• Engine Fuel Management and Vent Gas Capture Projects
• Enhanced Oil Recovery²
• Enhanced Oil Recovery (streamlined)²
• Fuel Switching in Mobile Equipment
• Gravel and Lightly Surfaced Road Rehabilitation Projects
• Instrument Gas Conversion to Instrument Air Conversion in Process Control Systems
• Landfill Gas Capture and Combustion²
• Low-Retention, Water-Powered Electricity Generation as Run-of-the-River or an Existing Reservoir
• Nitrous Oxide Abatement from Nitric Acid Production
• Nitrous Oxide Emissions Reductions in Agriculture
• Non-Incineration of Thermal Waste Conversion
• Reducing Days on Feed of Beef Cattle
• Reduced Age at Harvest of Beef Cattle
• Selection for Low Residual Feed Intake Markers in Beef Cattle
• Solar Electricity Generation
• Solution Gas Conservation
• Substitution of Bitumen Binder in Hot Mix Asphalt Production and Usage
• Waste Heat Recovery (streamlined)
• Waste Heat Recovery Projects
• Wind-Powered Electricity Generation

The following protocols have been terminated and are no longer available for use in the Alberta offset system.

• Acid Gas Injection
• Including Edible Oils in Cattle Feeding Regimes
• Innovative Feeding of Swine and Storing and Spreading of Swine Manure
• Modal Freight Shifting
• Tillage System Management (Replaced with the Conservation Cropping protocol effective January 1, 2012)³ 

¹ This protocol is being revised to address regulatory additionality against the Renewable Fuel Standard. All changes to this protocol will apply effective April 1, 2011. It is anticipated that a draft protocol will be available for stakeholder review in summer 2011.

² Protocol is undergoing review to address known risks in the protocol. No new offset projects will be accepted under these protocols until the reviews are complete or the project has received written approval from Alberta Environment and Water. Please contact Alberta Environment and Water for additional guidance and more information.

³The Quantification Protocol for Tillage System Management (February 2009) has been replaced with the Quantification Protocol for Conservation Cropping (March 2012) effective January 1, 2012 for offset credits generated in 2012 and forward. Opportunity to claim offset credits under the Quantification Protocol for Tillage System Management (February 2009) expired December 31, 2011 for vintage year 2002 to 2011 credits inclusively. Project developers bringing forward historic offset credits under this protocol have until September 30, 2012 to claim 2011 vintage credits. First Nations have until March 31, 2013 to claim historic tillage system management projects for vintage years 2002 to 2011.

2.0 Protocols Under Development

Alberta's protocol development process is coordinated by C3 (Climate Change Central) on behalf of Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. A complete listing of protocols under development is available on the Carbon Offset Solutions website.

All draft protocols are posted for a 30-day public comment.

3.0 What's New - Stakeholder Information

Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development has approved the following protocols for use in the Alberta Offset System:

• SGER 2012 Fall Stakeholder Presentations

4.0 Supplemental Program Information

• Clarification on Ownership Requirements for First Nations Tillage System Management projects
• Clarification on Data Collection Requirements for Aggregated Tillage Projects on First Nations Lands
• Clarification on eligibility of aboriginal lands within the Alberta Offset System
• Notice of Registry Fee Changes
• Clarification on historic ownership for aggregated tillage projects
• Notice of Ownership Requirements for Aggregated Tillage Projects on First Nations Lands
• Clarification on Electricity Usage for Offset Projects
• Reminder on Data Testing Requirements for Third Party Verification
• Clarification on the Deadline for Claiming Historic Offset Credits

5.0 Contact Us

Please click here to subscribe to the Carbon Emissions Offset mailing list to receive program up-dates and information: Offset Mailing List

For further information, please contact: Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development GHG Program
or
the Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Climate Change policy unit (780) 427-5200
Dial 310-0000 for toll-free connection in Alberta.

Please direct any feedback and comments you may have to: mailto:AENV.GHG@gov.ab.ca***