The Sustainable Biomass Programme (SBP) certification scheme today published the final standards documents needed for biomass producers to comply with the EU's updated renewable energy directive (RED III).
SBP certificate holders with EU RED in scope must update their management systems in line with SBP EU RED documents by 21 May, when RED III takes effect, SBP said. Compliance will be verified during audits after that.
SBP received a positive technical assessment from the European Commission on 6 May and its certification framework is recognised under RED III.
Country or region-specific RED III risk assessments will replace annex 6 assessments under RED II rules and will include updated risk criteria and sustainability benchmarks.
More public consultations
SBP this week launched public consultations on draft risk assessments for forests in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Vietnam, and national and private forests in the US to help biomass producers comply with RED III.
Biomass producers can use the consultations to demonstrate compliance with RED III, but must update their supply base evaluation if any risk ratings in the final RED III assessment differ from those in the consultation draft.
A draft RED III level A assessment for Canada — covering Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec — will be published today, SBP said.
The deadline for reviewing the draft assessments and submissions is 19 June.
SBP launched public consultations for Danish forests earlier in the month.
