Voluntary schemes and national certification schemes of EU countries help to ensure that biofuels, bioliqui ds and biomass fuels as well as renewable hydrogen and its derivatives (renewable fuels of non-biological origin or RFNBOs), and recycled carbon fuels (RCF) are sustainably produced by verifying that they comply with the EU sustainability criteria, as well as the relevant methodologies for RFNBOs and RCF.
As such, the schemes check that
- production of feedstock used for the production of biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels does not take place on land with high biodiversity and that land with a high amount of carbon has not been converted for such feedstock production
- electricity used for the production of renewable hydrogen is of renewable origin
- production of renewable fuels and gases leads to sufficient greenhouse gas emissions savings
Several schemes also take into account additional sustainability aspects such as soil, water, air protection and social criteria. For the certification process, an external auditor verifies the whole production chain from the origin of the raw material and energy to the fuel producer or trader.
While the schemes are run privately, the European Commission can recognise them as compliant with the rules included in the Renewable Energy Directive.
Voluntary schemes under the Renewable Energy Directive
The EU sustainability criteria cover the production of fuels and energy from agricultural as well as forest biomass and organic waste. Detailed rules describing the certification process are enshrined in the Implementing Regulation on sustainability certification. The sustainability framework for bioenergy has been complemented by rules ensuring the sustainability of renewable hydrogen and its derivates. The European Commission adopted delegated acts including criteria for the sourcing of renewable electricity that is used for the production of RFNBOs as well as a methodology for determining emission savings of RFNBOs and RCF.
Interested voluntary schemes may apply for recognition by the Commission under the sustainability framework. The Commission will assess the applications by applying the following assessment protocol. In case schemes are interested to certify also RFNBOs and RCF an additional template will be used.
Recognition criteria
For a scheme to be recognised by the Commission, it must fulfil criteria such as
- feedstock producers comply with the sustainability criteria and the criteria for RFNBOs production set out in the Renewable Energy Directive and its implementing legislation
- information on the sustainability characteristics can be traced to the origin of the feedstock
- all information is well documented
- companies are audited before they start to participate in the scheme and retroactive audits take place regularly
- the auditors have both the generic and specific auditing skills needed with regard to the scheme’s criteria
The decision recognising a voluntary scheme has usually a legal period of validity of 5 years.
Approved voluntary schemes and national certification schemes
The Commission has so far formally recognised 15 voluntary and national certification schemes
Type of feedstock(s): Agricultural biomass (including wastes and residues)
Type of fuel(s): All
Geographic coverage: Global
Chain of custody coverage: Full fuel chain (for bio methane up to the production unit).
The Commission Decision of 12 April 2022
Link to most recent annual report
Type of feedstock(s): Agricultural biomass (including wastes and residues)
Type of fuel(s): All
Geographic coverage: Global
Chain of custody coverage: Full fuel chain (for biomethane up to the production unit)
The Commission Decision of 12 April 2022
Link to most recent annual report
Type of feedstock(s): Sugar cane (including residues) to produce: 1. first-generation ethanol produced by fermentation of sugarcane juice; 2. first-generation ethanol produced from molasses; 3. advanced ethanol produced from agricultural residues arising during sugarcane production (bagasse, tops, leaves); 4. (solid) biomass fuels produced from bagasse. Type of fuel(s): First-generation Bioethanol and Advanced Bioethanol, biomass fuels. Geographic coverage: All Chain of custody coverage: Full, including compliance of the consignments of biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels with the low indirect land-use change-risk criteria set in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/807. The Commission Decision of 12 April 2022 Link to most recent annual report |
Type of feedstock(s): Agricultural biomass, wastes and residues.
Type of fuel(s): All
Geographic coverage: Global
Chain of custody coverage: Full fuel chain (for biomethane from the production unit up to the point of consumption), including compliance of the consignments of biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels with the low indirect land-use change-risk criteria set in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/807.
The Commission Decision of 12 April 2022
Link to most recent annual report
Type of feedstock(s): Agricultural and forest biomass, wastes and residues.
Type of fuel(s): All
Geographic coverage: Global (primarily Poland)
Chain of custody coverage: Full fuel chain (for biomethane up to the production unit)
The Commission Decision of 12 April 2022 and Commission Decision of 14 December 2022
Link to most recent annual report
Type of feedstock(s): Agricultural biomass (excluding high-ILUC risk feedstocks), waste and residues
Type of fuel(s): All
Geographic coverage: Global (selected countries for which REDcert has adopted a “country profile”) Chain of custody coverage: Full fuel chain (for biomethane from the production unit up to the point of consumption)
The Commission Decision of 12 April 2022
Link to most recent annual report
Type of feedstock(s): Agricultural biomass (combinable crops and sugar beet). Wastes, residues and forest biomass are excluded. Certification of Greenhouse gas emissions savings (article 29(10)) is excluded.
Type of fuel(s): Biofuels derived from combinable crops and sugar beet. Geographic coverage: United Kingdom (primarily England and Wales).
Chain of custody coverage: Farm to first intake point only.
The Commission Decision of 12 April 2022
Link to most recent annual report
Type of feedstock(s): Agricultural biomass, wastes and residues (forest biomass is excluded)
Type of fuel(s): All
Geographic coverage: Global
Chain of custody coverage: Full fuel chain (for biomethane up to the production unit), including compliance of the consignments of biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels with the low indirect land-use change-risk criteria set in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/807.
The Commission Decision of 12 April 2022
Link to most recent annual report
Type of feedstock(s): Soy
Type of fuel(s): Biofuels
Geographic coverage: Global
Chain of custody coverage: Full fuel chain
The Commission Decision of 12 April 2022
Link to most recent annual report
Type of feedstock(s): Agricultural biomass (combinable crops). Wastes, residues and forest biomass are excluded. Certification of Greenhouse gas emissions savings (article 29(10)) is excluded.
Type of fuel(s): Biofuels derived from combinable crops.
Geographic coverage: United Kingdom (primarily in Scotland but also in the North of Great Britain). Chain of custody coverage: Farm to first intake point only.
The Commission Decision of 12 April 2022
Link to most recent annual report
Type of feedstock(s): Agricultural biomass (combinable crops and sugar beet). Wastes, residues and forest biomass are excluded. Certification of Greenhouse gas emissions savings (article 29(10)) is excluded.
Type of fuel(s): Biofuels derived from combinable crops and sugar beet.
Geographic coverage: United Kingdom.
Chain of custody coverage: the trading, transport and storage stages from farm gate to first processor with specific modules covering merchanting, haulage, storage and testing. The REDII requirements apply to all participants whose scope includes either the TASCC Merchanting and/or TASCC Storage modules.
The Commission Decision of 12 April 2022
Link to most recent annual report
Type of feedstock(s): Agricultural biomass (combinable crops and sugar beet). Wastes, residues and forest biomass are excluded. Certification of Greenhouse gas emissions savings (article 29(10)) is excluded.
Type of fuel(s): Biofuels derived from combinable crops and sugar beet.
Geographic coverage: United Kingdom and Ireland.
Chain of custody coverage: The scheme covers the trading, transport and storage stages from farm gate to first processor with specific modules covering merchanting and compound feed manufacturers. The REDII requirements apply to all participants using the UFAS Merchanting module.
The Commission Decision of 12 April 2022
Link to most recent annual report
Type of feedstock(s): Agricultural and forest biomass (including wastes and residues)
Type of fuel(s): Biomass fuels Geographic coverage: Global
Chain of custody coverage: Full fuel chain (for biomethane from the production unit up to point of consumption)
The Commission Decision of 12 April 2022
Link to most recent annual report
Type of feedstock(s): (a) ligno-cellulosic material derived from forest and non-forest land; (b) processing residues from forest and agriculture related industries (outside forest and agricultural land). Agricultural residues from agricultural land are excluded.
Type of fuel(s): biomass fuels (pellets and wood chips) produced from forest and non-forest ligno-cellulosic material and forest and agriculture related industry processing residues for heat and electricity production. “Bioliquids”, “biofuels”, “biogas”, “renewable liquid and gaseous transport fuels of non-biological origin” and “recycled carbon fuels” are outside of the scope of the SBP scheme.
Geographic coverage: Global
Chain of custody coverage: Full fuel chain.
Type of feedstock(s): Agricultural feedstocks and vegetable oils (including residues).
Type of fuel(s): Biofuels, bioliquid and gaseous fuels.
Geographic coverage: All geographic locations (the AACS scheme only certifies raw material in Austria, AMA approved inspection bodies can certify raw material processed in third countries).
Chain of custody coverage: Farm and initial processing (e.g. oil seed crushing) only.
In addition, the Commission has received applications for recognition under the directive from the following voluntary schemes and national certification schemes
| Applications | EC positive technical assessment |
|---|---|
| U.S. Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol EU (SSAP EU) | ✓ |
| Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) | |
| European Renewable Gas Registry (ERGaR) (only for certification of cross-border trade of biomethane) |
|
| Better Biomass (extension of the scope to also cover forest biomass) | |
Green Gold Label (GGL) | |
ISCC (extension of the scope to also cover forest biomass) | |
ISCC (extension of the scope to also RFNBOs and RCF) | |
CertifHy (RFNBOs) | |
REDcert (RFNBOs) |
The recognition by the Commission is not a pre-requisite for certification. EU countries may accept evidence from voluntary schemes or national certification schemes set up by EU countries not recognised by the Commission if the competent authorities in those countries are confident about the quality of the certification services provided by these schemes.
Documents
- Q&A for the certification of RFNBOs and RCF (June 2023)
- Overview table of pre-ILUC Directive NUTS2 cultivation emissions values (July 2018)
- Data reporting template
Related links
- Delegated Act on a methodology for renewable fuels of non-biological origin (EU) 2023/1184
- Delegated Act establishing a minimum threshold for GHG emissions savings of recycled carbon fuels (EU) 2023/1185
- Commission Implementing Regulation establishing operational guidance on the evidence for demonstrating compliance with the sustainability criteria for forest biomass (EU) 2022/2448
- Commission Implementing Regulation on rules to verify sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions saving criteria and low indirect land-use change-risk criteria
- Recast Renewable Energy Directive (EU) 2018/2001