Author(s)

R. Chamy, P. Reyes & E. Vivanco

Abstract

Anaerobic digestion development has been marked by a constant evolution. Initially it was born as an efficient way to solve environmental problems, but later, a more comprehensive vision was adopted with the inclusion of the issues of biogas, bio-solids and irrigation water utilization. Later on, energy issues started being more relevant and to gain strength. Currently, a new concept has been included as a fundamental variable in environmental processes, namely, the reduction of greenhouse gases. In fact, the regulated/voluntary carbon market has a diversity of developing projects that otherwise would not be possible to be developed. In other words, anaerobic digestion must be viewed as a technology that must be thought about from a systemic viewpoint, where not only a contribution to the waste problem is made, but in addition, a contribution is made to the Planet’s environmental and energy sustainability. In this work a new systemic approach for biogas projects is shown. How the carbon market can help to solve environmental and energetic problems, especially in under developed countries. Finally, a real project is described as an example in order to validate this approach. Keywords: emission sources, biogas, carbon trade, greenhouse gases, anaerobic digestion, carbon market. 1 Introduction From the first IPCC 1992 report during the Earth’s Summit organized in Rio de Janeiro, the United Nations Framework Convention against Climate Change (UNFCCC) was created in order to stabilize the greenhouse gases (GHGs)

Keywords

emission sources, biogas, carbon trade, greenhouse gases, anaerobic digestion, carbon market.