Methodology for Measurement-Based Quantification of GHG Emissions and Reductions in Livestock Production

The proposed methodology establishes an integrated Tier 3, measurement-based quantification framework for livestock production systems. It directly measures GHG-related environmental parameters inside the livestock housing environment (“Animal Zone”)—including CH₄, NH₃ (with conservative conversion to NH₃-derived N₂O), CO₂, ventilation/airflow proxies, temperature, humidity, and pressure—at defined intervals and converts these observations into GHG emissions and reductions through a standardized, auditable algorithm. The methodology is intended to be:

• Cross-species: applicable to cattle (beef and dairy), swine, and poultry (broilers and layers).
• Cross-system: applicable to mechanically ventilated barns, naturally ventilated barns, semi-housed/open barns, and manure/bedding composting sheds.
• Vendor-neutral: compatible with any sensor system that meets minimum accuracy, calibration, and QA/QC requirements; no proprietary hardware is required.

On April 1, 2026, the development of this <methodology, module, tool or revision> was rejected per the VCS Methodology Development and Review Process (PDF). After careful review, Verra determined that the proposal’s climate impact was not as high as that of other ideas. Verra will therefore not proceed this approach to the full methodology development process at this time.