Federal offset protocol: Reducing enteric methane emissions from beef cattle
Enteric fermentation is a natural digestive process that happens in ruminant animals like cattle. Microbes in their first stomach compartment, called a rumen, help break down food for digestion. During this process, some of the food turns into methane, a powerful greenhouse gas (GHG), which cattle release into the air when they burp.
The Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions from Beef Cattle federal offset protocol creates an incentive for livestock producers and other project proponents. It encourages them to implement projects that reduce enteric methane emissions in confined beef cattle feeding operations. Categories of activities include:
- improved cattle management
- diet reformulation
- use of feed additives
- use of growth promoters
- other innovative strategies
These activities will lower enteric methane emissions and may be issued federal offset credits under the Canadian Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System Regulations.
The protocol cannot be used for projects with grazed cattle or dairy cattle. The use of novel anti-methanogenic feed additives and gut modifiers are not currently eligible activities under this protocol.
The protocol was developed by Environment and Climate Change Canada with input from a team of external technical experts. Experts included individuals with expertise in the cattle industry, agricultural offset project development and implementation, livestock GHG quantification, offset project verification, offset protocol development, and relevant academic research. Experts in the Government of Canada and provinces and territories were also consulted.
Access the protocol
Reducing enteric methane emissions from beef cattle, version 1.0
Other resources
Protocol overview
Webinar presentation
- Overview of the Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions from Beef Cattle federal offset protocol (November 2025)
To receive a copy of the presentation, please send us an email at: creditscompensatoires-offsets@ec.gc.ca
Guidance document
Project registration application template
- For an individual project:
- Project registration application template for projects using the Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions (REME) from Beef Cattle Protocol Version 1.0
- For an aggregation of projects:
- Registration application template for an aggregation of projects using the Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions (REME) from Beef Cattle Protocol Version 1.0 (Word document component)
- Individual project registration application template for projects included in an Aggregation of Projects using the Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions (REME) from Beef Cattle Protocol Version 1.0 (Excel document component)
Verification report templates
- Canada’s GHG Offset Credit System verification report template
- Canada’s GHG Offset Credit System verification report annex template
Please note that verification report templates for verification of project reports under Canada’s GHG Offset Credit System differ from those used under the Output-Based Pricing System.
To receive the templates applicable to your project, contact the GHG Offset Credit System Operations Office at: CreditsCompensatoiresSCSC-OffsetsCATS@ec.gc.ca