May 19, 2026, Germany – As global attention intensifies on the need for rapid climate action, UPM is drawing attention to a proven, high‑integrity solution that directly targets the world’s most potent near‑term climate threat: superpollutants. The Sichuan Household Biogas Programme of Activities (PoA), a Gold Standard‑certified initiative, is demonstrating how methane avoidance can deliver immediate and measurable global warming reduction today.

Methane (CH₄) is responsible for nearly half of all observed atmospheric warming and is more than 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO₂) over a 20‑year horizon. The Sichuan Household Biogas PoA, developed and operated by UPM, captures methane from livestock manure that would otherwise vent into the atmosphere, converting it into clean cooking energy for nearly 400,000 low-income rural households. By avoiding methane emissions at source, each PoA carbon credit delivers a disproportionate near‑term cooling benefit.

Key Achievements at a Glance

• Households Reached: 395,435 smallholder households equipped with operational biogas digesters
• Annual GHG Reduction: ~725,000 tCO₂e
• Total Verified Reductions (2012-2025): ~7.8 million tCO₂e
• CH₄ Avoidance Share: ~24-25% of total emissions reductions
• Operational Performance: Digesters have 90-100% uptime, due to free maintenance services

“Superpollutants are responsible for roughly half of today’s anthropogenic greenhouse effect, yet they remain an underleveraged part of most corporate climate strategies,” said Martin Dilger, the managing director of UPM. “The Sichuan Household Biogas Programme proves that methane avoidance works at scale, complements long term carbon removal efforts, and delivers real, near term climate benefits. For any organisation serious about bending the global warming curve, this is the kind of programme to look at.”

UPM continues to support and highlight high‑integrity carbon crediting approaches that bridge the gap between immediate climate change mitigation and long‑term decarbonisation.

Incorporate superpollutant mitigation into your carbon strategy today. Explore the website of the Sichuan Household Biogas Programme and learn how it can help your organization deliver immediate climate and sustainable development impact.

Your contacts at UPM for the Sichuan Household Biogas PoA and for purchasing its top-rated GS VERs are:

Martin Dilger, Managing Director, UPM Germany
mdilger(at)upm-cdm.eu, T: +49 89 1222197 – 50

and

Gaiai Guo, Vice General Manager, UPM China
guog(at)upm-cdm.eu, T: +86 10 6468 0500.