Biomass Assurance Framework enters final test stage

Sustainable Biomass Partnership (SBP) has today published the response to its consultation on the Biomass Assurance Framework (BAF), a suite of five standards and processes allowing companies in the biomass sector to demonstrate compliance with legal, regulatory and sustainability requirements relating to woody biomass.

The response to consultation summarises the responses received and sets out the SBP’s decisions on the matters contained in the consultation issued in March 2014. As a result of the consultation exercise, BAF version 0.0 is now in use as a ‘beta version’ for final testing. Following a period of final testing, SBP expects to launch version 1.0 in the first quarter of 2015.

Peter Wilson, Executive Director of SBP commented: “We are grateful to all those interested parties which took part in the consultation exercise. Recognising that there is limited uptake of certification in some key forest source areas for woody biomass, SBP is working to develop solutions to address the challenge this brings and complement existing forest certification schemes.

“The Biomass Assurance Framework will benefit from continuous improvement over time as we learn by doing. SBP aims to provide a practical approach to inform the work of European policy makers and regulators, and at the same time facilitate trading of wood pellets across international markets.”