Title:
Bridging Gaps in Sustainability Certification of Low-ILUC-risk Biomass - A Decision Support Scheme
Author(s):
Sumfleth, B., Majer, S., Thrän, D.
Document(s):
Paper
Poster
Abstract:
Indirect land use change (ILUC) is considered a significant challenge associated with an increasing demand for biomass and bioenergy. Sustainability certification of biomass-based products can help to manage and verify ILUC-risks and establish a certain level of sustainability. To take ILUC in sustainability certification into account a low-ILUC-risk certification approach is discussed on the political and scientific level. This approach is characterized by the use of practices that an individual producer can adopt to provide an additional amount of biomass. While this approach potentially reduces the risk for ILUC, several potential trade-offs may arise from the use of such practices. The question remains open whether the criteria and indicators (C&I) of voluntary certification schemes that consider a particular trade-off are based on scientific evidence. As considerable gaps for specific trade-offs could be identified, the question arises whether and how these trade-offs can be assessed in certification practice. This paper presents a decision support scheme to assist biofuel certification schemes in their decision to revise existing and include new C&I to assess the respective trade-offs. Based on a comprehensive literature review and expert interviews, the scheme evaluates whether potential certification C&I are conceptually sound and applicable in certification practice. We found the most C&I for biodiversity loss and water pollution. We also identified a manageable and implementable set of criteria to evaluate the C&I.
Keywords:
biofuel, certification, criteria and indicators (C&I), additionality, trade-off, low-ILUC-risk
Topic:
Sustainability, Impacts and Policies
Subtopic:
Sustainability, socio-economic aspects and public acceptance
Event:
32nd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
2AV.3.2
Pages:
265 - 268
ISBN:
978-88-89407-24-0
Paper DOI:
10.5071/32ndEUBCE2024-2AV.3.2
Price:
FREE
