Project Spotlight: American Biogas Council Carbon Accounting Tool for Biogas

This year, the American Biogas Council (ABC) launched the Carbon Accounting Tool for Biogas (Biogas CAT) to bring consistency and transparency to carbon intensity (CI) calculations for biogas and renewable natural gas (RNG) projects. Developed with EcoEngineers, an LRQA company, the tool addresses a major gap in voluntary carbon markets, where buyers and developers have lacked a unified, science-based way to compare emissions benefits.

Biogas projects have long faced challenges communicating their climate impact. Existing tools don’t fully capture biogas pathways, and smaller developers often lack the resources to calculate CI reliably. The Biogas CAT solves this by offering a simplified, publicly available Excel-based calculator built on life-cycle analysis principles and shaped through extensive industry input.

The result is a trusted, accessible framework that helps both developers and buyers make informed decisions. As ABC Executive Director Patrick Serfass notes, “Our goal is to empower developers and buyers with a tool that brings consistency, transparency, and confidence to emissions reporting.” EcoEngineers’ President, Brad Pleima, adds, “The Biogas CAT is about delivering clarity and consistency to a growing but fragmented market. The Biogas CAT is a foundational step toward unlocking the full environmental and economic potential of biogas.”

The Biogas CAT is free, public, and available now. It represents a major leap forward for biogas developers, voluntary buyers, and policymakers seeking credible, comparable emissions data. You can access the tool and the full methodology on the American Biogas Council website.

Read the full case study here.