The Impact of Renewable Natural Gas on Sustainability
3 min readAs more businesses look to decarbonize their energy supply and enhance sustainability in their operations, many are exploring ways to optimize their natural gas use. Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) is a clean option that provides environmental benefits with little to no equipment or operational modifications. RNG is available on the pipeline and is a mass balance environmental product (a method to track and account for use of bio-based feedstocks) that requires no changes to natural gas equipment already on site. By integrating RNG into customized energy strategies, businesses can benefit from using current equipment without needing capital improvements, maintaining overall equipment efficiency and achieving long-term sustainability and scope 1 reduction goals.
What is Renewable Natural Gas?
RNG is pipeline-quality natural gas that originates from the decomposition of organic matter and includes its associated environmental attributes. This process produces raw biogas, which is then upgraded to meet applicable pipeline pressure, quality and heat content requirements. Once purified, RNG is injected into the commercial pipeline system, just like regular geologic natural gas. Biogas can be produced from sources like municipal solid waste landfills, wastewater treatment plants, and various other anaerobic digester feedstocks, such as agricultural and livestock waste, food production facilities and organic waste management operations.
The environmental impact of RNG
RNG projects capture and recover methane from landfills or anaerobic digestion (AD) plants, preventing it from being vented and released into the atmosphere. Methane has a global warming potential over 25 times that of CO2 and a relatively short atmospheric life of 12 years. By capturing and utilizing methane emissions, the use of RNG can help to significantly mitigate global climate change by displacing the use of conventional fossil-derived natural gas.
In addition to its climate benefits, RNG can also positively impact transportation emissions. Replacing traditional diesel or gasoline engines with RNG-powered natural gas engines can also significantly reduce nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions, resulting in improved local air quality.
Ultimately, replacing fossil fuels with RNG can significantly reduce CO2 emissions on a lifecycle basis. Compared to natural gas, RNG can lower emissions by up to 40% when used as transportation fuel. In 2023, RNG as a transportation fuel achieved carbon reduction equivalent to growing 115,146,800 tree seedlings for ten years or preserving 8,130,425 acres of U.S. forests for one year.1
How RNG impacts your business
The environmental benefits associated with RNG, including reduced carbon emissions compared to fossil-derived natural gas, can be paired with end-users’ natural gas consumption to support renewable energy claims. Specific sustainability claims and emission reduction levels will depend on the specific end-use of the gas and the chosen GHG emission reporting standards. By integrating RNG into their energy strategies, businesses can achieve significant sustainability goals without the need for major infrastructure changes.
Additionally, businesses can benefit from renewable and carbon credits when RNG is used as a transportation fuel in vehicles. An electronic tracking system on MRETS has been established to issue Renewable Thermal Credits (RTCs), which can be purchased, tracked and retired to document sustainability claims.
Transform Your Energy Strategy with RNG
By adopting sustainable natural gas strategies, businesses can reduce GHG emissions, demonstrating to customers, investors and employees that they are actively contributing to a more sustainable future. Constellation is committed to helping you navigate your sustainability journey and develop a tailored strategy that meets your unique needs.
Contact us today to learn how we can help you develop a tailored RNG strategy that meets your unique needs.
© 2025 Constellation. The offerings described herein, if applicable, are those of either Constellation Navigator, LLC, Constellation NewEnergy, Inc. or Constellation NewEnergy-Gas Division, LLC, affiliates of each other. Brand names and product names are trademarks or service marks of their respective holders. All rights reserved.