Landfill Project Protocol Development – Mexico

How It Works

Landfill Project Protocol Development – Mexico

In August 2008, Mexico’s six Border States, California, the Pacific Gas & Electric Company, and the Climate Action Reserve signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) agreeing to work cooperatively to develop quantification and verification protocols for GHG emission reduction projects in Mexico. The MOU calls on the Reserve to develop protocols that “would ensure the integrity of emission reductions from projects in Mexico designed to reduce greenhouse gas pollutants.”

Pursuant to this MOU, the Climate Action Reserve has adapted its Landfill Project Protocol for eligible GHG reduction projects in Mexico. This protocol provides a standardized approach for quantifying and monitoring the GHG reductions from landfill methane destruction projects within the Mexican states. The protocol defines what types of projects are eligible to receive credits, describes how to quantify emission reductions, and describes how to monitor and verify projects so that project emission reductions can be verified by the Reserve.

As a result of this adaptation and development process, the Reserve has produced landfill project reporting and verification protocols applicable to projects throughout Mexico. The protocols were adopted by the Reserve Board on July 1, 2009 and the drafts are available below.

Adaptation Process

The protocol adaptation process has involved relevant sector-specific stakeholders in Mexico who have addressed issues such as:

  • Regulatory requirements for landfills operations in Mexico
  • Identifying common practices that affect methane emissions
  • Adapting equations and emission factors for GHG emissions in Mexico
  • Adjusting project monitoring and verification activities

The process proceeded according to the following timeframe:

Staff research and draft revisions to protocols January – March 2009
Workgroups review and comment on draft revisions March – April 2009
Protocol drafts released for public comment May 2009
Staff and workgroups incorporate public comments into final protocols June 2009
Adoption by Reserve Board July 2009

Drafts Released for Public Comment

Drafts of the Mexico version of the landfill project reporting protocol were available for public review and comment during May and June of 2009. Below are the draft project reporting protocol (in Spanish), draft project reporting protocol with changes from the original protocol tracked using the Track Changes function in Microsoft Word (in Spanish) and a summary of the changes made to the original protocol (in English) which were released.

The Reserve received three sets of public comments, provided below, on the landfill protocol. The public comments received informed final revisions to the protocols.

Public Comments to Draft landfill protocol – Mexico

Ecosecurities ETEISA Zeroemissions

The following document contains a summary of public comments and responses:

Throughout the protocol adaptation and development process, The Reserve worked with relevant stakeholders in Mexico with experience in the landfill sectors. Below are the organizations engaged in the Mexican Landfill Protocol adaptation processes.

Workgroup Participants

• Cappy Mex
• Comisión de Cooperación Ecológica Fronteriza (COCEF)
• Comisión de Estudios del Sector Privado para el Desarrollo Sustentable
• (CESPEDES) (BCSD-México) – Programa GEI México
• Consulting Pechan
• CYSTE
• Ecosecurities
• Estado de Chihuahua
• Estado de Coahuila
• Estado de Nuevo Leon
• Estado de Sonora
• ETEISA
• Instituto de Investigaciones Eléctricas (IIE)
• Instituto Nacional de Ecología (INE-SEMARNAT)
• Municipio de Chihuahua
• Municipio de Nogales
• Municipio de Nuevo Laredo
• PASA
• PROACTIVA
• SCS Engineers
• Secretaría de Desarrollo Social (SEDESOL)
• SEISA
• Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT)
• SEMARNAT – Programa GEI México
• SIMEPRODE
• Sistemas de Ingeniería y Control Ambiental
• TECMED
• U.S. EPA M2M (Methane to Markets)
• Universidad Autonoma Baja California