DNV GL Business Assurance Finland Accredited for SBP Certification

DNV GL Business Assurance Finland Oy Ab (DNV GL) has become the fourth Certification Body to be accredited by Accreditation Services International (ASI) for SBP certification services.

ASI, the appointed accreditation body for the SBP certification system, has undertaken a thorough assessment of the processes and procedures in place at SCS and is satisfied that the accreditation requirements for the SBP certification system have been met. Further details and the accreditation certificate can be found at: http://www.accreditation-services.com/archives/certification_bodies/dnv-gl-business-assurance-finland-oy-ab.

The ASI accreditation process starts with a desk review of supporting documentation from the Certification Body, and is followed by an on-site head office assessment. The last stage is a witness assessment of a Certification Body audit. A recommendation decision is then submitted to the ASI Accreditation Committee, with the final accreditation decision taken by the ASI Managing Director.

Carsten Huljus, Chief Executive Officer of SBP, commented: “I congratulate DNV GL Business Assurance Finland on their achievement. There are now four Certification Bodies accredited for SBP certification, representing a solid foundation for our ongoing work with ASI and that of delivering assurance of quality certification”.

SBP Consultation on Final Draft Regional Risk Assessment for Portugal

SBP has today published the final draft Regional Risk Assessment for Portugal. 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 feedstock entering the supply chain of biomass used in 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 Portugal may be viewed at: https://sbp-cert.org/documents/consultation-documents/draft-regional-risk-assessment-portugal.  Interested parties are invited to provide written comments on the final draft to info@sbp-cert.org by the close of business on Friday, 16 February 2018.