5. Carbon Accounting for Compost and Digestate

"How the benefits of applying compost and digestate to soils can be accounted for under the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol"

Project Overview

The project aimed to evaluate the carbon accounting benefits associated with producing and applying compost and digestate to land. Further, the project endeavoured to develop guidance to account for these benefits under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

Project Objectives:

  1. To demonstrate to compost producers and AD operators the benefits of engaging with the GHG Protocol as a key step towards understanding their commercial activities within the global imperative to minimise climate-warming emissions.
  2. To provide guidance to operators on how to account for the production and application of compost and digestate under the GHG Protocol.

Access

CCS and BCS participants are eligible to receive a copy of the Project Report free of charge. All other requests for access may be subject to a fee. Email the Research Hub Manager (contact details here) to request access.

The fee to access the report is £166.00 (excl. VAT)—equal to the average Research Fees each Scheme participant paid towards the project. Access may also be subject to agreement with REAL’s confidentiality agreement.

Project Selection and Delivery Details

In 2022, the Research Panel recommended the project for funding. Following a competitive tender period, REAL appointed Solidsense, in partnership with Cambridge Eco, as the project contractor in February 2023. Work commenced in June 2023 and was completed in Spring 2024.  The total cost to deliver the project was £46,826.05 (excl. VAT).

Associated Documents

  • The Project Brief, which summarises the research scope and objectives, can be found here.  
  • The Tender Invitation Document (TID), which was used to invite potential contractors to tender for the work, can be found here.