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Clean energy and sustainable jobs


USA, Mt. Carberry
ClimatePartner ID: 1166
Gas RecoveryGet to know the project

Pulp and paper milling has been the dominant industry in Berlin (New Hampshire) over the past century. Residues were disposed at the nearby Mt. Carberry landfill site, causing high emissions of methane gas, the lobal warming potential of which is 21 times that of CO2. The Androscoggin Valley Regional Refuse Disposal District (AVRRDD) voluntarily installed a landfill gas collection and destruction system at Mt. Carberry. The collected landfill gas is burnt in a controlled way and turned into heat energy. By avoiding methane flaring into the atmosphere this leads to an average annual reduction of 35,000 tons CO2-equivalents. AVRRDD has constructed a pipeline in collaboration the remaining paper mill in Berlin. The landfill gas substitues fuel oil in their boiler system and thus allows the mill to save heating costs.

The majority of Berlin's inhabitants used to work in the two large local paper mills, one of which has shut down. The town became economically depressed with limited opportunities of decent jobs. Remaining economically viable with the support from carbon finance, the mill now provides sustainable job opportunities.

35,000 t CO₂Estimated annual emissions reductions
Project Standard
The project contributes to the the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals
How does gas recovery contribute to climate action?

Methane is a greenhouse gas emitted by many processes including livestock farming, waste management, sewage treatment, oil production, and coal mining. When released into the atmosphere, it oxidises first to carbon monoxide and then to carbon dioxide, making it a major contributor to global warming. Climate projects avoid these emissions by capturing the gas and using it to generate heat or electricity, or by processing the gas into dry and liquid gas. In this way, the gas is not released into the atmosphere and is used to generate energy instead. Gas recovery projects in the ClimatePartner portfolio are registered with international standards.

The project aims to contribute to these United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Project facts

Climate projects generally fall into one of three groups: carbon reduction, carbon removal, or carbon avoidance. Carbon reduction projects reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by a specific activity (e.g., improved cookstoves). Carbon removal projects remove carbon from the atmosphere by sequestering it in carbon sinks (e.g., reforestation). Carbon avoidance projects avoid greenhouse gas emissions entering the atmosphere (e.g., protecting forests from deforestation with REDD+ projects).

Climate projects demonstrably reduce, remove, or avoid greenhouse gas emissions. This is achieved with various technologies, ranging from nature-based solutions to social impact projects and renewable energies.

Climate projects go through third-party validation and verification. Verification happens regularly after each monitoring period. A validation and verification body checks and assesses whether the values and project activities stated in the monitoring report are correct and verifies them. As with validation, visits to the project site are often part of the process.

This figure shows the estimated annual emission reductions calculated before the project started. The actual number of emissions saved in each monitoring period may differ. The background to this process is that in order to be registered as a climate project, the project operator must submit the calculation of the estimated emissions savings using the ex-ante methodology in a Project Design Document (PDD), which is similar to a business plan. This calculation is validated by an independent auditor. The values determined in the PDD are recalculated during regular monitoring periods based on actual project performance, documented in a monitoring report, and verified again by independent auditors at the end of the monitoring period to ensure a robust process. Independent verification thus provides ex-post verification of actual emission reductions. Verified emission reductions are not distributed until the savings have actually been made.
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