On September 10, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) released an updated 2026 Fuel Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Model required for carbon intensity (CI) determinations under the Clean Fuel Regulations (CFR). Version 5.0 of the CFR Specifications for Fuel LCA Model CI Calculations and the CFR Data Workbook followed on September 15, finalizing the changes proposed in Pre-Publications 4.1, 4.2 and 5.0.
Any new fuel pathway application or CI pathway report submitted to ECCC after December 31, 2026, must use the new Model, Specifications and Workbook; submissions through year-end may still use Version 4.0 and the 2024 Model. All documents are on the ECCC Data Catalogue; ECCC’s summary of Model changes and Publication 5.0 describe the updates.
Background
The CFR sets annual CI reduction requirements for primary suppliers of gasoline and diesel. CI is measured in grams of CO2 equivalent per megajoule of fuel energy, and low-CI fuels and other eligible actions generate marketable compliance credits against the reference CI benchmarks set by the Regulations. The Fuel LCA Model along with the CFR Specifications and Data Workbook sets the CFR-specific CI modeling requirements. Registered creators (parties that generate CFR credits), foreign suppliers and CI contributors must file verified CI Pathway Reports each year using the latest operational data.
2026 Fuel LCA Model Changes
- Combustion emission factors updated to the 2026 National Inventory Report (2024 data) for natural gas, propane, CNG and LNG.
- Configurable processes for animal fats, corn oil and oilseed oils now accept a transport-distance parameter so applicants can model actual haul distances.
- Agricultural crop processes updated; fertilizer, agrochemical and pesticide inputs revised; phosphate rock production added.
- New yellow grease production processes for the settling-rendering method added.
- Chemical processes split into Canada-specific [CA] and rest-of-world [RoW] versions; predefined chemical mixes revised; methanol updated to 2024 data; crude and refined glycerin processes removed.
- Grid electricity: OECD national grids added based on IEA data; U.S. grids moved to eGRID 2025 Revision 2; Canadian provincial grids updated as pre-published in July 2026.
- New combustion processes for bagasse and agricultural residues.
2026 CFR Specifications Updates
All fuels
Applicants may choose the distinct-feedstock, simplified or CI weighted-average approach, and may use a different approach in the CI application and the pathway report. Grid electricity for processed feedstock is a weighted average over an applicant-defined group of jurisdictions, with a new Workbook worksheet. Geothermal, tidal and offshore wind are added as low-CI electricity technologies; wood biomass (simple cycle) is removed from the eligible list. The 25-tonne truck process may be used without documentation; the 45-tonne process needs support only where it moves the CI by 1 gCO2e/MJ or more. Energy used to capture, compress or treat CO2 at the plant may be excluded from reported energy use. The subdivision modeling method now covers fuel-to-fuel processing, co-product upgrading and compression or liquefaction for a gaseous fuel. A feedstock categorization guidance document (waste versus co-product) is expected to be available in the fall of 2026.
The CFR requires that the period of data for CI determination be 24 consecutive months during the 30 months immediately prior to the day on which the applicant “makes the election.” The revised CFR Specifications state that “makes the election” refers to the day on which the draft CI application is assigned to the verification body in the Credit and Tracking System (CATS). This clarification removes the need to update operational data in the application if the verification process takes longer than expected.
Bioethanol
Facilities producing conventional ethanol and ethanol from crop fiber must calculate a single average CI for all bioethanol produced at the facility. Rye and triticale are added as feedstocks.
Biodiesel and renewable hydrocarbon biofuels
The yellow grease traditional rendering process may be used in all cases. The use of the settling-rendering process requires chain-of-custody documentation and demonstration of above 1 gCO2e/MJ of CI impact. Methanol modeling instructions are added for biodiesel. Renewable diesel, renewable gasoline, renewable naphtha, and SAF may be treated as co-products as part of a single application. Off-gas may be modeled as excess fuel gas only with an attestation from an end user.
Compressed natural gas
Registered creators may now elect a default CI of 67 gCO2e/MJ for CNG under Table 11 of the Specifications instead of the 72 gCO2e/MJ in Section 8 of Schedule 6. The lower CI score may be used to file credit-creation reports without a CI application or pathway reports.
What Version 5.0 Means for RNG and Biogas
Digestate storage
Direct emissions from liquid digestate storage must be counted even when the digestate is stored away from the RNG or biogas facility, with new instructions for storage at more than one location and for digestate sent to a covered storage or treatment system. For digestate stored off-site without site-specific data, the Workbook now assumes 100 percent of volatile solids go to liquid storage and that the storage system is emptied once a year, in November, at 85 percent efficiency. Aerobic storage or treatment requires contacting ECCC for further guidance.
Digestate processing energy
If the fuel production facility converts digestate into higher quality materials, such as fertilizer or compost, the energy used to process the digestate can be excluded.
Digester leakage
New guidance covers facilities operating both enclosed vessel and covered lagoon digesters. Users are directed to account for leakage from each digester type in separate tabs and sum the results in a side calculation. If data is not independently available for each digester type, all leakage for all digester gas production must be modeled as a covered lagoon.
Fugitive emissions
The revised CFR Specifications clarify that fugitive emissions are those that occur between the inlet and outlet of the upgrading process. If biogas flaring occurs between the initial raw biogas flow meter and upgrading, the flow is not considered to be measured at the inlet. If the RNG flow is measured after upgrading and a portion of that gas is not measured (unmetered recycled gas or flared gas), the flow is not considered to be measured at the outlet.
Destroyed emissions
In addition to existing Equation 15, a new Equation 16 has been added to calculate fugitive emissions destroyed (e.g., flared). The document now specifies that Equation 15 is to be used only when the quantity of captured gas and methane content are metered. When fugitives are calculated with Equations 13 or 14 and Equation 15 yields a higher value, Equation 16 must be used. Equation 16 instructs the user to multiply the total fugitives by a 95 percent capture rate and a destruction efficiency (0.96 or 0.995 depending on the flare type), effectively assuming all fugitives are flared.
Avoided emissions
Dairy Heifers and Dairy Farm are added as livestock categories; Dairy Farm applies an average herd profile where only total headcount is known. The Avoided Emissions worksheet now allows users to enter up to three livestock types, and the CI weighted-average approach can be used to determine a single CI for projects with multiple farms. The Van’t Hoff-Arrhenius reference temperature is corrected to 308.18 K and the digestate and manure temperature calculations are revised, affecting both storage emissions and avoided-methane credit.
Updated emission factors
The 2026 Fuel LCA Model includes an updated database with revised emission factors for several processes that feed into the RNG CI value. For instance, emission factors for grid electricity and process natural gas are now lower, whereas emissions from RNG distribution via pipeline and CNG combustion are slightly higher.
Action Checklist
▸ Install the 2026 Fuel LCA Model with openLCA 2.6.2 and use Specifications and Data Workbook Version 5.0 for submissions after December 31, 2026.
▸ Decide whether any pending CI application or pathway report should be filed before year-end under Version 4.0. Note that the annual pathway report will have to use the new model in 2027 with a need to file credit adjustment reports.
▸ Rerun existing pathways in Version 4.0 and Version 5.0 to understand the impact on credit generation.
▸ RNG operators: continue to collect digestate storage data, including location and treatment method, measure biogas flow at inlet and outlet after upgrading, and obtain accurate livestock counts by CFR category.
▸ Watch for the official feedstock categorization guidance (fall 2026) and Canada Gazette, Part I, for the domestic-production amendments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to resubmit my approved CI application?
No. Approved CIs remain valid. However, the next annual CI Pathway Report must use the 2026 Model and Version 5.0, so the changes will also impact existing pathways next year.
Can I still file under Version 4.0?
Yes, any new pathway application or pathway report submitted to ECCC on or before December 31, 2026, can still utilize Version 4.0. Submissions after that date must use the 2026 Model, Specifications v5.0 and Data Workbook v5.0.
What is the new default CI for CNG?
The updated default value for CNG is now 67 gCO2e/MJ, down from 72 gCO2e/MJ. Registered creators may use it in any annual credit-creation report without filing a CI application or submitting pathway reports.
Trinity’s Clean Fuels Practice supports CFR credit creation, CI modeling and compliance reporting. To assess what the 2026 Model and Version 5.0 mean for your pathways before the December 31 deadline, please email Alex Marcucci.
