Isometric has released a draft protocol for reducing methane emissions from rice farming for public consultation. The protocol sets out requirements and procedures for projects that use alternative cultivation techniques such as alternate wetting and drying (AWD) to reduce the amount of methane produced during rice cultivation.
This is Isometric’s third protocol for superpollutant reduction, following Landfill Methane Flaring and Utilization and HFC and ODS Recovery and Destruction.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and reducing it is an important solution for mitigating near-term climate change. Over a 100-year period, a tonne of methane has approximately the same global warming impact as nearly 30 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Every year, over 170 million hectares of rice are harvested around the world, releasing approximately 30 million tonnes of methane—8% of annual human-generated methane emissions globally.
These emissions can be reduced through AWD, a water management practice that involves controlled drainage events during the rice growing season. By temporarily lowering the water table and allowing the soil to aerate, AWD interrupts the low-oxygen conditions that enable methane production. This approach can reduce methane emissions by over 50% without impacting rice yields, while simultaneously reducing water usage by 25%.
The Rice Methane Reduction Protocol takes a scientifically rigorous approach to monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV). Projects must monitor water levels across all fields, verified by Isometric using remote sensing technologies.
The protocol provides a flexible quantification framework which incentivizes direct measurements. It also enables crediting using emissions reductions estimates developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), with a conservative discount applied to address measurement uncertainty.
This protocol was developed in line with the Isometric Standard, through collaboration between Isometric’s in-house Science Team and reviewers from Isometric’s independent Science Network of more than 400 experts and practitioners.
Comments are welcome from buyers, suppliers, and scientists during the 30-day public consultation period ending on May 7, 2026.
Read more about Isometric's superpollutant reduction protocols for landfill methane and for hydrofluorocarbons and ozone-depleting substances.
