Paper details

Title:

Comparative Evaluation of Biofuel Standardisation & Certification Schemes - Developing an Approach to Evaluate Assets, Drawbacks and the Future Potential of S&C Schemes

Author(s):

Hofer, A., Schneider, V.

Document(s):

Abstract:

Based on a brief overview of barriers to the success of sustainable biofuels, a selection of important standardisation and certification (S&C) schemes for biofuels is presented. A possible approach for the evaluation of prominent challenges and difficulties is discussed with focus on crucial socio-economic aspects like stakeholder participation, overall legitimacy and transparency. Complementary to this, technical aspects like verifiable GHG savings, proof of compliance, traceability and enforceability of principles and criteria are explicated as well. The paper aims to implement a strategy that considers the biofuels sector as a large technical system (LTS). Such a socio¬technical network combines social units and technical artefacts. Created and transformed by the interaction of multiple and heterogeneous stakeholders, S&C schemes can be classified as 'second order' large technical systems that are strongly and continuously interacting with the biofuels sector that is considered as a ‘classic' or 'first order' LTS (1).

Keywords:

biodiesel, bioethanol, biofuels, certification, standardisation, sustainability, stakeholders, regulation

Topic:

Biomass Policies, Markets and Sustainability

Subtopic:

Sustainability assessment and criteria

Event:

20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition

Session:

5AV.1.32

Pages:

2262 - 2267

ISBN:

978-88-89407-54-7

Paper DOI:

10.5071/20thEUBCE2012-5AV.1.32

Price:

FREE