Implementation of Sustainability Certification

Sustainability certification for biofuels will only be successful if it is implementable on the ground. Over the increasing number of certification schemes that deal primarily or partially with biofuels, it has become apparent that producers wishing to become certified have difficulties to understand the certification processes and how they relate to each other, what they can get out of certification, and as well as how to practically comply with some of the criteria set by various sustainability standards. As well, it is clear that auditors face a significant challenge in the interpretation of standards, and that their capacity needs to be built in order for them to fulfill their vital role in the implantation of the certification. To address these challenges UNEP, in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will develop a series of activities focused on practical implementation of sustainability certification. A first workshop took place on January 25-26th, 2010 in Washington D.C.:

• Workshop on "Assessing Challenges for Implementation of Biofuels Sustainability Criteria"
  The goal of the workshop was to highlight practical challenges in complying with sustainability certification schemes and share experiences on how to overcome specific implementation problems. The involvement of both the private sector and the sustainability certification scheme "designers" provided a platform for enhancing clarity and providing concrete examples of implementation challenges and potential solutions on specific criteria, both in the developed and developing countries. The workshop report can be accessed here (PDF - 303KB)