Biogas Digesters to Decarbonize Canada’s Dairy Industry
This blog was written by Enact Consulting, winner of the A4S International Case Competition: Jason Pang (University of Toronto), Melissa Kao (UBC Sauder School of Business) and Janine Jiao (UBC Sauder School of Business).
This year, the students were challenged to consider corporate decarbonization within the broader context of a fair and just climate transition. Teams had to choose one of the world’s 2,000 most influential companies from the World Benchmarking Alliance SDG2000 list and propose one (or more) solution(s) to one (or more) identified challenging areas of the company’s decarbonization strategy. This included an executive summary, a cost-benefit analysis and a presentation setting out their proposal for the company’s CFO.
Introducing our team, Enact Consulting!
Enact Consulting came together through Enactus UBC – a social entrepreneurship club at the University of British Columbia (UBC) that empowers students to drive measurable social and environmental impact through projects focused on education, food security, sustainability, and more. We had all competed in case competitions before and decided to challenge ourselves at the international level by entering the A4S International Case Competition (A4SICC).
“Our diverse academic and professional backgrounds really helped us stand out and maximize efficiency throughout the competition. As a science student, I was grateful for the opportunity to learn more about finance and accounting while bringing my technical sustainability knowledge to support my teammates.”
Jason Pang
The First Step: Conducting a Needs Assessment
With an undergraduate degree in Sustainable Agriculture, Jason had some insights into the complexities of scope 3 decarbonization in Canadian agriculture – specifically around manure storage and management – which we decided to explore further. Our initial research revealed that manure emits methane, a greenhouse gas with 81 times the global warming potential of CO₂ on a 20-year timescale. Tackling methane emissions is crucial to achieving Canada’s 40% emissions reduction target by 2030.
Recognizing this pressing need, we chose to focus our solution on decarbonizing manure management for a major Canadian dairy cooperative. The competition tasked us to prepare a pitch directly addressing our chosen organization’s CFO – a challenge that motivated us to craft a financially viable and impactful strategy.
Our Proposed Solution: Agricultural Biodigesters
To help the organization address its scope 3 emissions, we proposed agricultural biodigesters – large tanks where bacteria break down manure and organic waste to generate biogas, a renewable energy source that displaces fossil fuels. These digesters capture methane emissions and convert them into renewable natural gas (RNG) and digestate, a nutrient-rich fertilizer that benefits agricultural soils.
We felt confident in our solution as it was grounded in credible, well-recognised sources and expert insights. By drawing on Taking Action on Methane Emissions from the Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agriculture, the Canadian Biogas Association, and BCG’s Centre for Canada’s Future, we ensured our approach was both well-developed and feasible.
By the first-round submission deadline, we had developed a solution that balanced financial, environmental, and social sustainability, directly addressing SDGs #7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), #8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), #12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and #13 (Climate Action). Our model demonstrated that biodigesters could help reduce Scope 3 emissions while creating over 115 jobs and delivering $1.3 million in annual cost savings for farmers.
“One of the best parts of this competition was meeting people of all ages from around the world. Being able to witness so many different perspectives, from the way people story tell and present to the depth of information they choose to share, was an absolute treat. It opened our minds to the fact that there is no single way to deliver an informative and persuasive presentation. Beyond this, everyone was incredibly genuine and supportive, and we were all in awe of each other’s skills and strengths. It didn’t feel like a competition; it felt like a collaborative learning experience where we each walked away with new friendships and new skills.”
Melissa Kao
Competing on the International Stage
The biggest challenge came during the final round of the competition – a live case where all finalist teams were tasked with developing a sustainable finance framework to fund their proposed solution. This tested not only our decarbonization strategy but also our financial acumen.
We leveraged the A4S resource Developing and Implementing a Sustainable Finance Framework: Top Tips for Treasury Teams and conducted a decision matrix to evaluate two financing approaches: ‘use-of-proceeds bonds’ and ‘sustainability-linked instruments.’ Ultimately, we recommended a use-of-proceeds approach as the best fit.
Given that A4SICC is a sustainable business competition, we paid close attention to defining which sustainability factors should be embedded in the financing framework, aligning them with the UN SDGs. We also went the extra mile to create a Theory of Change model – a strategic roadmap that mapped out the necessary steps needed for the organization to achieve its climate goals. This helped set clear KPIs and provided impact investors with a transparent view of how the project’s outcomes would be achieved and measured.
“Throughout this competition, I learned the importance of balancing feasibility with creativity. While it’s great to ideate unique, out-of-the-box solutions, it’s even more crucial to design practical ones that truly resonate with stakeholders, from farmers to executives and everyone in between, while still aligning with sustainable business principles. My advice to future competitors would be to never underestimate the power of a well-structured implementation plan. It’s where judges see your idea as reality, not just visionary.”
Janine Jiao
Winning A4SICC 2025 was more than just a proud moment for our team—it proved the value of collaboration, creativity and purpose-driven problem solving. The competition taught us that real impact comes from ideas that are not only bold but also practical and rooted in the needs of stakeholders. We hope our journey encourages future participants to stay curious, think strategically and believe in the power of diverse perspectives.
Whether you win or not, participating in A4SICC is a transformative learning experience. We each walked away with new insights into sustainable business and sustainability accounting, connected with passionate students worldwide, and learned directly from industry professionals.
