SBP has today published the final draft Regional Risk Assessment for Denmark. Interested parties are invited to provide written comments on the draft.

Regional Risk Assessments are a key part of SBP’s focus on identifying and mitigating risks associated with sourcing feedstock for biomass wood pellet and woodchip production. The SBP certification system is designed to provide assurance that all feedstock is sourced legally and sustainably.

Feedstock certified at the forest level through FSC^® or PEFC schemes and feedstock from recycled sources is automatically SBP-compliant. All other feedstock must be evaluated using a risk-based approach.

Typically, the Biomass Producer – a pellet or woodchip mill – is responsible for carrying out the risk assessment and putting in place mitigation measures to manage any specified risks such that they can be considered as controlled and hence low risk. It is the role of an independent, third-party Certification Body to check that the feedstock evaluation has been correctly undertaken.

The purpose of a Regional Risk Assessment is to evaluate an entire geographic region and determine the risks associated with sourcing feedstock for biomass wood pellet or woodchip production from that region. Thus, the need for individual Biomass Producers to conduct risk assessments is avoided. Further, Regional Risk Assessments are particularly valuable where statutory protection for forested land is limited.

Carsten Huljus, SBP Chief Executive Officer, commented: “Identifying and managing any risks so as to prevent illegal and unsustainable sourcing of feedstock for the production of biomass wood pellets and woodchips used in large scale energy production is central to the role of SBP.

“We encourage interested parties to take part in the consultation”.

The final draft Regional Risk Assessment for Denmark may be viewed at: http://www.sbp-cert.org/documents/consultation-documents/draft-regional-risk-assessments. Interested parties are invited to provide written comments on the final draft to Penny Bienz at penny.bienz@sbp-cert.org by Monday, 5 June 2017.

SBP has lifted NEPCon OÜ’s suspension for SBP biomass producer (including Supply Base Evaluation) and supply chain certification in Russia.

The Certification Body, NEPCon OÜ, became an ‘SBP-approved’ Certification Body in September 2015.

It is an SBP requirement that a reduction in scope or suspension of a relevant accreditation, such as for FSC^® or PEFC, by an accreditation body leads to a corresponding suspension of an SBP approval.

Therefore, following the suspension of NEPCon OÜ’s FSC accreditation for Forest Management and Chain of Custody certification in Russia by Accreditation Services International (ASI) on 1 December 2016 (effective date), SBP suspended NEPCon OÜ’s approval for SBP biomass producer (including Supply Base Evaluation) and supply chain certification in Russia on 6 January 2017 (effective date).

On 21 April 2017, ASI announced that the suspension had been lifted. Following a review to ensure that the other SBP requirements are still fully met, SBP has also lifted its suspension (effective 21 April 2017).

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today published its first annual report. The report covers the calendar year 2016, and is available at: www.sbp-cert.org/documents/annual-reports.

Carsten Huljus, SBP Chief Executive Officer, commented: “The report provides an easy-to-follow guide to SBP, which we hope helps to communicate what is a fairly complex certification system. The performance review takes a good look at the key outputs of 2016. A lot has been achieved in a short period and we are grateful to all our stakeholders for the invaluable support they have given to the process.

“The current governance arrangements are described alongside the critical role of independent oversight. In linking good governance and independent oversight we aim to deliver a credible and robust certification system.

“I trust our first annual report will make a good base against which we will be able to monitor and report on our performance and progress in the coming years”.

The Certification Body, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), became an ‘SBP-approved’ Certification Body in May 2016.

As part of the SBP’s processes and procedures, a Certification Body is evaluated against SBP’s requirements (SBP Standard 3). Where those requirements are not fulfilled a non-conformity is raised against the Certification Body’s own process and procedures. In cases where an approved Certification Body does not effectively implement corrective action of a major non-conformity and demonstrate conformity within the required timeframe, SBP shall immediately start the suspension process.

Consequently, PwC has been suspended (effective date 23 January 2017) for SBP biomass producer (including Supply Base Evaluation) and supply chain certification for Canada and the USA.

Once evidence has been provided that the major non-conformities in question have been closed, and providing the other SBP requirements are still fully met, SBP will be able to lift the suspension. However, the period of suspension shall not exceed six months unless specifically authorised by SBP.

Until the suspension is lifted, PwC shall not enter into new agreements for certification, and may only perform initial certification services with explicit written approval from SBP. PwC shall, however, continue to conduct surveillance audits for existing clients during the period of suspension

On 1 December 2016 (effective date), NEPCon OÜ’s FSC accreditation for Forest Management and Chain of Custody certification in Russia was suspended by FSC’s accreditation organisation, Accreditation Services International (ASI).

It is an SBP requirement that a reduction in scope or suspension of a relevant accreditation, such as for FSC^® or PEFC, by an accreditation body leads to the corresponding suspension of an SBP approval. Consequently, approval for SBP biomass producer (including Supply Base Evaluation) and supply chain certification for Russia was suspended as of 6 January 2017 (effective date).

On 21 April 2017, ASI announced that the suspension had been lifted. Following a review to ensure that the other SBP requirements were still fully met, SBP also lifted its suspension (effective 21 April 2017).

In accordance with the ASI accreditation procedures, the ASI suspension decision was subject to arbitration and as a result of that arbitration process the suspension decision has been deleted from ASI’s records.

SBP’s decision to suspend the approval of NEPCon OÜ in Russia was based solely on the requirement that a reduction in scope or suspension of a relevant accreditation by an accreditation body leads to the corresponding suspension of an SBP approval. In the light of the outcome of the ASI arbitration process, SBP has also taken the decision to delete the suspension decision from its records.