Business View Magazine l November 2022

53 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 11 “We communicate with government departments provincially and federally to ensure that various policies, programs, and regulations in development or those that exist reflect a pathway biogas and renewable natural gas can take to gain mainstream adoption.” “The second approach is education and awareness through initiatives and resources we launch and publish yearly. For example, we have a Canadian Anaerobic Digestion Guideline that sets out best practices and are currently developing a Canadian Digestate Management Guide addressing the value of the byproduct of these energy systems as a soil amendment or renewable fertilizer.” “The third is research like a recent study we did called ‘Hitting Canada’s Climate Targets with Biogas and RNG.’ These resources specifically look at how biogas/RNG can position itself as a path to net zero, which has become a huge focus for us as a society in terms of contributing to our national and global goals.” CBA’s fourth approach is supporting initiatives that enable knowledge transfer in the industry, including events, publications, partnerships, and other communication channels. “One targeted initiative we did a year or so ago is Farming Biogas, which you can find at farmingbiogas.ca. It is a hub for agricultural producers wondering if biogas is a good fit for their business and what the opportunity means. The website answers these and other queries through factsheets, checklists, and other helpful tools.” “We’re also developing other resources on our website tailored to the municipal audiences, like co-authoring a municipal guide for renewable natural gas. It addresses issues decision-makers, councilors, politicians, and bureaucrats want to understand in terms of how biogas can work for their municipality.” explains the association’s background and mandate. “The Canadian Biogas Association supports the growth of biogas and renewable natural gas development in Canada,” she says. “As the industry has snowballed in the last decade, the association continues as the voice of all stakeholders in the sector’s value chain.” CBA’s member companies represent biogas/ RNG developments within the agricultural sector covering farms, agribusinesses, and food processors. It also caters to the municipal industry covering landfill gas collection and dedicated anaerobic digestion facilities processing green bin material and merchant facilities processing food waste. Besides the producer side of the association’s membership, several member companies provide expertise in services, specifically design, feasibility, and product and equipment-related support. “Another unique element in our membership are entities seeking green energy opportunities, specifically gas utilities and others interested in net zero or sustainability targets as part of their corporate goals,” adds Green. “Gas utilities are especially interested in how they can start decarbonizing their gaseous fuel and natural gas dependencies with renewable natural gas.” The association’s Mandate In fulfilling its mandate of helping the biogas industry in Canada grow, the CBA employs a four-pronged approach: advocacy, education and awareness, research, and knowledge transfer. “The first leg of the stool is advocacy,” Green explains. CANADI AN B IOGAS ASSOC I AT ION