News

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today published its new working paper, which examines the Cascading Principle – a key feature of the Renewable Energy Directive 2023/2413 (REDIII) – and its integration into SBP Standard 1 (v2.0). Cascading introduces a structured hierarchy for the use of wood, similar to the […]

Today, the Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has launched public consultations on the newly developed Regional Risk Assessments (RRAs) for US – National Forests and Vietnam. As a result of the Standards Development Process launched in May 2020, both SBP Standards 1 and 2 were revised, thus triggering the review of […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) is pleased to announce the release of its EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) add-on module within the SBP Data Transfer System (DTS). This new module, developed in collaboration with Global Traceability Solutions (GTS) and supported by our EUDR Working Group,  is specifically designed to support our […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) is currently recruiting for a new Board Director to represent Biomass Producers. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and motivated individual to join SBP’s Board, contributing valuable insights and strategic guidance to shape the sustainable future of biomass in the bioeconomy. The successful […]

Today, the Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has launched public consultations on the revised Regional Risk Assessments (RRAs) for British Columbia and Quebec, and the newly developed RRAs for Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Denmark – Trees Outside Forests, and US – Primary Sourcing Regions. As a result of the Standards […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) is pleased to announce recent changes to our Board of Directors. We welcome two new directors, Diane Nicholls and Michael Schytz, who will represent Biomass Producers and End-users, respectively. As with all SBP Board appointees, both will serve on the board in a personal capacity, […]

SBP is pleased to announce the publication of our recently revised Theory of Change, marking a significant step forward in our commitment to driving sustainable practices in the biomass industry. This comprehensive update aligns with our refreshed strategy and our revised Standards (v2.0), ensuring we remain at the forefront of […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today published the revised Regional Risk Assessments (RRAs) for Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. As a result of the Standards Development Process launched in May 2020, both SBP Standards 1 and 2 were revised, thus triggering the review of all existing SBP-endorsed RRAs. Indufor […]

Date: 4 September 2024 Duration: 1 hour Time: 10am CET and 6pm CET Recording: Available on our YouTube channel after the event Webinar Overview: Navigating the complexities of the EU Deforestation-free Products Regulation (EUDR) can be challenging, especially for those in the woody biomass supply chain. Join us for an informative webinar where we will […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today launched the public consultation on its revised Theory of Change. The updates reflect our refreshed purpose and strategic aims. We have aligned each focus area identified in our core strategy with our impact pathways. These pathways clearly delineate the causal relationships between our […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today announced that the GB energy regulator, Ofgem, has completed an assessment of the revised SBP Standards (v2.0) and concluded that they align with the Land Criteria set out in the legislative framework of the following schemes: Renewables Obligation Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Feed-in […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today published its annual review for 2023. The review is available at: www.sbp-cert.org/documents/annual-reviews. Commenting on the events of 2023, Carsten Huljus, SBP Chief Executive Officer, said: “The conclusion of 2023 signifies a significant milestone, marking a decade since the inception of SBP as a […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP), as part of our strategy to renew efforts to deliver meaningful engagement, has today launched the SBP Regional Forums, a programme of relationship-building across all our stakeholder groups. The Regional Forums aim to broaden and deepen our relationships with diverse stakeholder groups, with particular emphasis […]

Peter-Paul Schouwenberg, Head of Stakeholder Management and Sustainability at RWE, has with effect from 3 April 2024 stepped down from his role as a board member of the Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP). Mr Schouwenberg has had a long association with SBP, having served on the board from June 2014 to […]

SBP has today welcomed news of the first Biomass Producer to be certified under the revised SBP Standards (v2.0). Danish-based, DSHwood A/S, is a dedicated wood trading company dealing in woody feedstock from the region of Puglia in Italy, and managing the supply chain from harvest to End-user. The certificate […]

A group of organisations, including the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Preferred by Nature, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), and the Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP), are joining forces as the Risk Information Alliance (RIA). Increasing regulatory requirements such as the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) and market pressure for […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today launched public consultations on the revised Regional Risk Assessments (RRAs) for Estonia and Lithuania. As a result of the Standards Development Process launched in May 2020, both SBP Standards 1 and 2 were revised, thus triggering the review of all existing SBP-endorsed RRAs. […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today launched public consultations on the revised Regional Risk Assessments (RRAs) for Denmark and Latvia. As a result of the Standards Development Process launched in May 2020, both SBP Standards 1 and 2 were revised, thus triggering the review of all existing SBP-endorsed RRAs. […]

SBP has today published v1.1 of Instruction Document REDII: Bridging Requirements for Meeting REDII and supporting documents, and launched a recorded webinar to provide guidance and assistance to Certificate Holders and Certification Bodies when implementing the requirements. In December 2023, the European Commission confirmed that, following assessment, the SBP certification […]

The SBP Standards v2.0 became effective on 10 August 2023. Initially, it was envisaged that a period of 15 months would be sufficient for all Certificate Holders to transition from v1.0 to v2.0. In the light of a number of factors, including feedback received from stakeholders, it has been decided […]

SBP has today announced the appointment of Mihkel Jugaste as a Board Director representing Biomass Producers. Mihkel has many years’ experience in the biomass sector and, amongst other things, has a thorough understanding of value chain sustainability and the ESG framework. Since 2016, Mihkel has worked for Graanul Invest and […]

SBP has evaluated all EU Members States and several non-EU countries against the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) criteria of the EU REDII Article 29(7) (a) – the so-called “Level A” risk assessment. The results of the evaluation have been published in the SBP-endorsed REDII Level A […]

SBP has today announced the appointment of Alan Knight as a Board Director representing Biomass End-users. Alan has over 30 years’ experience of working with global companies and governments on sustainability. Since April 2021, Alan has held the position of Group Director of Sustainability at Drax Group, the UK renewable […]

SBP is inviting qualified and experienced organisations/individuals to submit proposals for the development of SBP-endorsed Regional Risk Assessments (RRAs) for the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the key biomass producing states of the USA. RRAs are a key part of SBP’s focus on identifying and mitigating risks associated with sourcing […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today launched a public consultation on two Instruction Documents that allow SBP Certificate Holders to demonstrate compliance with specific biomass sustainability requirements of the Netherlands SDE+ subsidy regime. Following the development of the SBP Standards v2.0, it has been necessary to update Instruction Documents […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has been recognised by the Government of Japan as meeting the requirements necessary for confirming both the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of imported woody biomass under Japan’s Feed-in Tariff (FIT)/Feed-in Premium (FIP) System for Renewable Energy, and the legality and sustainability of imported wood in […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today published its annual review for 2022. The review is available at: www.sbp-cert.org/documents/annual-reviews. Commenting on the events of 2022, Carsten Huljus, SBP Chief Executive Officer, said: “The end of the year marked the end of our three-year strategy, which commenced in 2020. Through the […]

Raul Kirjanen, founder of AS Graanul Invest, has with effect from 14 June 2023 stepped down from his role as a board member of the Sustainable Biomass Program. Mr Kirjanen has served in this position in a personal capacity since January 2022 and we thank him for his valuable contribution […]

SBP has today published its Strategy for the three-year period ending 2025. It comprises a refreshed statement of Purpose, four Strategic Aims, and five Focus Areas for delivery. Francis Sullivan, SBP Chair, commented,: “Our Strategy draws on our past but chiefly looks to the future. It explains our Purpose, defines […]

SBP has today launched its revised sourcing Standards for woody biomass. The revised Standards underpin the SBP promise of good biomass. They require that SBP-certified biomass is deforestation-free, that biodiversity is maintained or enhanced through protecting key species, habitats and ecosystems, that water quality and soil quality are maintained or […]

Will Gardiner, CEO of Drax Group, has with effect from 16 March 2023 stepped down from his role as a board member of the Sustainable Biomass Program. Mr. Gardiner has served in this position in a personal capacity since January 2019 and we thank him for his valuable contribution to […]

SBP has today announced that following approval by the Standards Committee, the Board has formally endorsed the revised SBP Standards (v2). Approval of the revised Standards concludes the Standards Development Process that was launched in May 2020. Amounting to a significant effort, the Process was designed to encourage and realise […]

The recently published NGO briefing paper, ‘Sustainable Biomass Program: Certifying paperwork without looking at the forest’, alleges that the Dutch authorities’ decision to deem all SBP-certified wood pellets as meeting national sustainability and greenhouse gas standards is unjustified. SBP welcomes constructive criticism of its certification scheme, which is used to […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today published its response to the October 2022 public consultation on the revised SBP Standards. In the response document, each of the comments received during the public consultation is presented along with SBP’s response summarising how the comments have been dealt with in the […]

SBP has published the suite of REDII documents that, in conjunction with our current Standards, have received formal recognition from the European Commission under the recast Renewable Energy Directive (EU) 2018/2011 (REDII). REDII lays down requirements for, amongst other energy sources, biomass, to ensure that they can be counted towards […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today launched the public consultation on the final revision draft of the SBP Standards and the SBP Glossary of Terms and Definitions. Our Standards Development Process is designed to facilitate an open, inclusive and constructive sharing of views amongst our stakeholder community. At the […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) is pleased to announce that on 26 September, the European Commission published the legal text of SBP’s recognition under the 2018 Renewable Energy Directive (REDII). The Decision entered into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union […]

In November 2021, SBP met with End-users to discuss the treatment of the EU REDII requirements, specifically whether they should be mandatory for all Certificate Holders, that is, included as a core requirement to obtain the SBP certification. That discussion was followed, in December 2021, by a survey sent to […]

REMINDER: We are recruiting six Standards Committee members, three representing Civil Society interests and three representing Commercial interests. For more details and the candidate pack see: https://sbp-cert.org/careers/. The deadline for applications is Monday, 15 August 2022.  

All SBP certificates in Russia and Belarus were suspended on 8 April 2022. As a result, it has not been possible to source SBP-certified biomass from either country since that date. In May, SBP announced that it was transitioning to a new assurance service provider, ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB). […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today launched a public consultation on Principle 3 of draft SBP Standard 1: Feedstock Compliance. Our Standards Development Process is designed to facilitate an open, inclusive and constructive sharing of views amongst our stakeholder community. At the request of our Standards Committee, we are […]

Following agreement with its current assurance services provider, Assurance Services International (ASI), SBP is preparing to transition to the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB). SBP has worked with ASI as a valued assurance partner since 2016. Already well-recognised internationally, ANAB is (amongst other things) a signatory of the International Accreditation […]

SBP has today announced that the validities of the Regional Risk Assessments (RRAs) for Denmark and Latvia have been extended to coincide with the end of the transition period for the forthcoming, revised SBP Standards (v2). SBP-endorsed RRAs remain valid for a period of five (5) years from the approval […]

Assurance Services International (ASI) has suspended Certification Body, Forest Certification LLC (FC) for Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) certification services in Russia, with effect from 18 November 2021. Details of the suspension may be viewed here. Publication of the suspension decision was put on hold pending an appeal lodged by FC. […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today published its annual review for 2021. The review is available here. Commenting on the events of 2021, Carsten Huljus, SBP Chief Executive Officer, said: “With COVID-19 restrictions still very much in evidence during 2021, the new ways of working we embraced the year […]

SBP has expressed its condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine. We remain gravely concerned by the unacceptable actions directed against that country and its people, which are entirely at odds with our values and those of our stakeholders. We have previously warned of the impact these actions, and consequential sanctions […]

SBP condemns the invasion of Ukraine. The consequences of military action and decisions to be made as a result are, and will be, far reaching, and have humanitarian and economic impacts, as well as implications for European energy security. Failure or loss of auditing, assurance and certified feedstocks in combination […]

SBP has published the suite of draft REDII documents that, in conjunction with our current Standards, have received a preliminary positive assessment from the European Commission under the recast Renewable Energy Directive (EU) 2018/2011 (REDII). The Commission expects the recognition of the first voluntary schemes under REDII to happen in […]

SBP has today announced that the application for the approval of its current Standards under the recast EU Renewable Energy Directive 2018/2001 (REDII) has received a preliminary positive assessment from the European Commission. The Commission expects the recognition of the first voluntary schemes to take place in the short term. […]

SBP has today announced the appointment of Nicolas Viart as Technical Director. Nicolas will take up the appointment from 1 January 2022. A senior sustainability professional with extensive agriculture and international supply chain experience, Nicolas has proven technical and strategic competencies in advancing sustainable agendas. Through the development and management […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today published the Standards Development Process Working Groups’ response to the public consultation on Revision Draft v1 of SBP Standards 1 to 6. In the response document, each of the comments received during the first public consultation is presented along with a response summarising […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today launched its public consultation on Revision Draft v2 of Standards 1 to 6. Our Standards Development Process is designed to facilitate an open, inclusive and constructive sharing of views amongst our stakeholder community. This is the second and final public consultation on proposed […]

SBP has today published the updated Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) for Estonia. RRAs are a key part of SBP’s focus on identifying and mitigating risks associated with sourcing feedstock for woody biomass pellet and chip production. In accordance with the SBP RRA Procedure, SBP-endorsed RRAs remain valid for a period […]

SBP has today announced that it has been accepted as an ISEAL Community Member. ISEAL is the global membership organisation for ambitious, collaborative and transparent sustainability systems. Through driving collective efforts to tackle the most pressing sustainability issues, ISEAL strives to create a world where markets are a force for […]

The following provides an update on the status of the recast EU Renewable Energy Directive 2018/2001 (REDII) and sets out the activities underway to secure the recognition of the current SBP Standards under REDII. To recap, EU Member States had until 1 July 2021 to transpose REDII into national law. […]

SBP has today published the SBP-endorsed Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) for the province of British Columbia, Canada. The Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC) initiated the RRA in 2018 to verify the legality and sustainability of uncertified feedstock in the province. Hopkin Forest Management Consulting Ltd and a team of […]

SBP has today opened a public consultation on a minor update and extension of the validity of the Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) for Estonia. Interested parties are invited to provide written comments. In accordance with the SBP RRA Procedure, SBP-endorsed RRAs remain valid for a period of five years from […]

SBP has published the updated Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) for Lithuania. RRAs are a key part of SBP’s focus on identifying and mitigating any risks associated with sourcing feedstock for woody biomass pellet and chip production. In accordance with the SBP RRA Procedure, SBP-endorsed RRAs remain valid for a period […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today launched its public consultation on Revision Draft v1 of Standards 1 and 2. Our Standards Development Process is designed to facilitate an open, inclusive and constructive sharing of views amongst our stakeholder community. This first public consultation on Revision Draft v1 of Standards […]

SBP has today announced the appointment of Annawati (Anna) van Paddenburg as a Board Director representing civil society. Anna replaces Professor Kathy Willis who stood down from the Board at the end of 2020. Anna is a green growth professional with almost two decades of international experience integrating the value […]

SBP has today published the SBP-endorsed Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) for the Province of Quebec, Canada. The publication of the RRA follows a period of public consultation and internal review by SBP, including an approval recommendation from SBP’s Technical Committee. SBP has also published a response to consultation, which summarises […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today published its 2020 annual review. The review is available at: www.sbp-cert.org/documents/annual-reviews. Carsten Huljus, SBP Chief Executive Officer, commented: “In a year that was characterised by the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to adapt to a new normal and negotiate our way through worldwide lockdowns […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today launched its public consultation on Revision Draft v1 of Standards 3 to 6. Our Standards Development Process is designed to facilitate an open, inclusive and constructive sharing of views amongst our stakeholder community. This first public consultation on Revision Draft v1 of Standards […]

SBP has today opened a public consultation on extending the validity of the Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) for Lithuania. Interested parties are invited to provide written comments. In accordance with the SBP Regional Risk Assessment Procedure, SBP-endorsed RRAs remain valid for a period of five years from the approval date. […]

SBP has today announced the launch of its new Audit Portal. Over the last year, we have been working on the new Portal, which provides all our Certificate Holders and accredited Certification Bodies with a dedicated system to manage all SBP audit-related activities. The Portal is part of our drive […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today announced that 300 organisations now currently hold SBP certificates. The organisations have been certified in accordance with the SBP certification system, which provides assurance that woody biomass is sourced from legal and sustainable sources. Carsten Huljus, SBP Chief Executive Officer, commented: “This is […]

Forest Certification LLC (Forest Certification) has become the fifth Certification Body to be accredited by Assurance Services International (ASI) for SBP certification services. Forest Certification is accredited for the following scope: SBP Biomass Producer (excluding Supply Base Evaluation) and Supply Chain, both in Russia. ASI, the appointed accreditation body for […]

SBP has today opened a public consultation on the Final Draft Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. Interested parties are invited to provide written comments on the draft. The Final Draft RRA for the Province of British Columbia, Canada has been prepared at the request […]

SBP will today officially launch its Standards Development Process. Stakeholders are invited to participate in a webinar at 3pm (BST) to hear more about the Process and how they can get involved. Webinar registration details below. Carsten Huljus, SBP Chief Executive Officer, commented: “Our Standards Development Process is an important […]

SBP has today opened a public consultation on the Final Draft Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) for the Province of Québec, Canada. Interested parties are invited to provide written comments on the draft. The Final Draft RRA for the Province of Québec, Canada has been prepared at the request of the […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today published its 2019 annual review. The review is available at www.sbp-cert.org/documents/annual-reviews. Carsten Huljus, SBP Chief Executive Officer, commented: “I am pleased to report that 2019 was another successful year for SBP. We have seen continued growth in the number of our certificate holders, furthered […]

SBP has today issued guidance on increased flexibility in certification audit requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, for certification bodies (CBs) providing SBP certification. Read the full guidance here.

SBP has today opened a public consultation on the Revised Final Draft Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) for Portugal. Interested parties are invited to provide written comments on the draft. The Revised Final Draft RRA for Portugal has been prepared at the request of ANPEB, the Portuguese Pellet Association, which provided […]

SBP has today announced that its certification system now offers the complete solution for compliance with the biomass sustainability requirements of the Netherlands’ SDE+ subsidy programme. The latest consents from the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy for Biomass Category 2 using a risk-based approach and for SDE+ […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today announced that 200 organisations now currently hold active SBP certificates. The organisations have been certified in accordance with the SBP certification system, which provides assurance that woody biomass is sourced from legal and sustainable sources in line with the definitions held by competent, […]

In accordance with the SBP Regional Risk Assessment Procedure, Conseil de l’industrie forestiere du Québec (CIFQ) and the Quebec Wood Export Bureau (QWEB) have prepared a draft Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) report for the Canadian province of Quebec. CIFQ and QWEB are now consulting on the draft RRA to ensure […]

SBP has today launched a consultation on Instruction Document 2E. The Instruction Document specifies the requirements for the evaluation, using a risk based approach, of the sustainability requirements of Category 2 feedstock as defined by the Netherlands SDE+ requirements. Category 2 feedstock is defined as feedstock from Forest Management Units […]

SBP has today launched a consultation on its Document Development Procedure. SBP is revising its Procedure to better reflect the changes in the governance arrangements of SBP and to bring SBP in line with best practice requirements. The Document Development Procedure specifies the steps to be followed for the revision […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today published its 2018 annual report. The report is available at: www.sbp-cert.org/documents/annual-reports. Carsten Huljus, SBP Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We have delivered against our stated priorities for 2018, whilst continuing to grow our Certificate Holder base and geographic spread. “During the year, we concluded the work […]

Today, SBP Chief Executive Officer, Carsten Huljus, named the members of the SBP Technical Committee who will take up their positions with immediate effect. Commenting on the Technical Committee appointments, Carsten Huljus said: “The Technical Committee is a representation of specialist expertise across the disciplines encompassed by the SBP standards, including […]

On 15 October 2018, DNV GL Business Assurance Finland Oy Ab (DNV GL Finland) was suspended by Assurance Services International (ASI) for SBP certification. ASI has now confirmed that the suspension has been lifted (effective from 8 March 2019). Further details can be viewed on the ASI website.

SBP is inviting Certificate Holders to pilot the new SAR and SREG templates. If, as a Certificate Holder, you wish to participate in the pilot please contact your Certification Body. Your Certification Body will provide full details of the pilot and the templates. We anticipate that the pilot will run […]

SBP has today launched a consultation on the Public Summary Report and Supply Base Report templates. The changes to the templates are proposed following feedback from users, and also to reflect anticipated modifications to the Audit Report on Energy and GHG Data (SAR) and Audit Report on Energy and GHG Data […]

SBP has today announced that its certification system has received approval from the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy for primary feedstock (biomass categories 1 to 4). Together with our earlier approvals for biomass category 5 and chain of custody, SBP is now a pre-requisite for trading biomass […]

Today, SBP Chief Executive Officer, Carsten Huljus, issued a call for action to all SBP stakeholders inviting them to register their interest in becoming a member of the new Stakeholder Advisory Group. Commenting on the Stakeholder Advisory Group, Carsten Huljus said: “Following the success of the SBP Stakeholder Committee that […]

Today, SBP Chief Executive Officer, Carsten Huljus, named the members of the SBP Standards Committee who will take up their positions in January 2019. Commenting on the new Standards Committee and its members, Carsten Huljus said: “The Standards Committee is a representation of SBP stakeholders, with the membership split 50:50 […]

Today, SBP Chair, Francis Sullivan, announced the nominated, new members of the SBP Board who will take up their positions in January 2019. Commenting on the nominations, Francis Sullivan said: “The vision of a balanced Board representing multi-stakeholder views will become a reality in January 2019. Much work has gone […]

As SBP readies itself for the transformational step towards becoming a multi-stakeholder governed organisation. SBP’s independent Chair, Francis Sullivan, talks about the making the vision a reality: “Moving to a multi-stakeholder governed certification scheme was always the shared vision of SBP’s founding members. In 2013, there was some urgency to […]

The Certification Body, DNV GL Business Assurance Finland Oy Ab (DNV GL Finland), has been suspended by Accreditation Services International (ASI) for SBP certification (effective 15 October 2018). Details on the grounds for suspension can be viewed on the ASI website. DNV GL has six months within which to clear the […]

SBP has today announced that its certification system has received approval from the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy for secondary feedstock (biomass category 5) and chain of custody, making SBP the first certification scheme recognised by the Netherlands as offering an end-to-end solution for secondary feedstock under […]

SBP has considered the likely market demand for biomass produced from primary feedstock meeting the Netherlands SDE+ biomass sustainability requirements and has determined that there should be sufficient interest to merit an SBP solution. Accordingly, SBP has published Instruction Document 2D, which specifies the requirements for the evaluation and certification […]

SBP has today announced the appointment of Francis Sullivan as its independent, non-executive Chair, effective from 1 July 2018. The appointment marks the first step in the implementation of SBP’s new, multi-stakeholder governance model. Francis, currently a Senior Adviser at HSBC Holdings plc, will replace Thomas Dalsgaard, Executive Vice President […]

In August 2017, SBP submitted its certification system to the Dutch regulator for benchmarking against the requirements of the Dutch SDE+ subsidy scheme. ADBE, the Commission responsible for carrying out the benchmarking, has concluded their preliminary assessment. The assessment, whilst positive, identified several areas that would need to be addressed […]

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 […]

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 […]

SCS Global Services (SCS) has become the third 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 […]

Control Union Certifications BV (CUC) has become the second 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 CUC and is satisfied […]

NEPCon has become the first 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 NEPCon and is satisfied that the accreditation requirements […]

SBP has today launched a consultation as part of its governance transition process. Following a comprehensive review of 12 certification systems in operation across a variety of sectors a proposal for the new governance arrangements for SBP has been developed. The overriding objective is to transform SBP into a multi-stakeholder […]

SBP has today published the SBP-endorsed Regional Risk Assessment for Latvia. The publication of the Regional Risk Assessment follows a period of public consultation and internal review by SBP, including an approval recommendation from the independent Technical Committee. SBP has also published a response to consultation, which summarises and considers […]

SBP, the unique certification system for woody biomass used in industrial, large-scale energy production, has today announced the addition of a new member company, MGT Teesside Ltd (MGT Teesside). The application for membership was approved at the SBP Board meeting held on 12 September 2017. MGT Teesside is building the […]

The Certification Body, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), became an ‘SBP-approved’ Certification Body in May 2016. On 23 January 2017 (effective date), PwC was suspended for the delivery of SBP Supply Chain and Biomass Producer Certification in Canada and the USA. Following the six month suspension period (23 January 2017 – 22 […]

SBP is a credible and robust certification system enabling users of woody biomass for energy production to demonstrate compliance with regulatory, including sustainability, requirements. At the core of the system are: 38 indicators defining legality and sustainability; alignment with leading regulatory regimes on sustainable biomass practice; and independent scrutiny of […]

SBP has today published the SBP-endorsed Regional Risk Assessment for Denmark. The publication of the Regional Risk Assessment follows a period of public consultation and internal review by SBP, including an approval recommendation from the independent Technical Committee. SBP has also published a response to consultation, which summarises and considers […]

The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today announced that 100 organisations now currently hold valid SBP certificates. The organisations have been certified in accordance with the SBP certification system, a unique certification system designed for woody biomass used in industrial, large-scale heat and power production. Carsten Huljus, SBP Chief Executive Officer, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

The Sustainable Biomass Partnership (SBP) welcomes the FSC’s consultation on the possible introduction of a voluntary FSC Carbon Footprint Procedure. SBP believes that such an instrument, capable of measuring the carbon footprint of the full range of wood products, would have a positive impact on production and consumption behaviours. The […]

SBP has today announced that Dorothy Thompson is to retire as a director and Chairman of the Board. Thomas Dalsgaard, who has been a director of the Company since 2013, succeeds Dorothy Thompson as Chairman. Thomas Dalsgaard commented: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to chair the SBP Board. […]

On 1 April 2016 SBP published two proposed fee schedules, one for Certificate Holders and one for Certification Bodies, which were scheduled to be effective from 1 October 2016. In September, the SBP Board decided to defer the introduction of fees for all Certificate Holders. The level of interest shown […]

A year on from celebrating the first Biomass Producer certification, the Sustainable Biomass Partnership (SBP) has today announced that 50 organisations have now been certified in accordance with the SBP certification scheme. SBP is a unique certification scheme designed for woody biomass, mostly in the form of wood pellets and […]

SBP has today published the pre-approval drafts of Instruction Documents 5A, 5B and 5C v1.1 for consultation. Interested parties are invited to provide written comments on the drafts. Following the consultation on draft Instruction Document 5A v1.1 earlier in the year, SBP has been working on revising the document to […]

The Sustainable Biomass Partnership (SBP) and Accreditation Services International (ASI) have today announced that SBP has appointed ASI as an accreditation body for the SBP certification scheme. The agreement between ASI and SBP enhances the integrity of the scheme through introducing another level of independent, third-party oversight at an important […]

SBP has today announced that Control Union Certifications BV (CUC) has become the sixth ‘SBP-approved’ Certification Body. CUC has provided evidence that it meets the SBP requirements regarding its existing accreditations and has demonstrated sufficient resource and competence to manage the SBP certification programme. The SBP certification programme enables producers […]

SBP has today announced that DNV GL Business Assurance Finland Oy Ab (DNV GL) has become the fifth ‘SBP-approved’ Certification Body. DNV GL has provided evidence that it meets the SBP requirements regarding its existing accreditations and has demonstrated sufficient resource and competence to manage the SBP certification programme. The […]

SBP has today announced that SCS Global Services (SCS), USA has become the fourth ‘SBP-approved’ Certification Body. SCS has provided evidence that it meets the SBP requirements regarding its existing accreditations and has demonstrated sufficient resource and competence to manage the SBP certification programme. The SBP certification programme enables producers […]

SBP has today published the SBP-endorsed Regional Risk Assessment for Lithuania. The publication of the Regional Risk Assessment follows a period of public consultation and internal review by SBP, including an approval recommendation from the independent Technical Committee. SBP has also published a response to consultation, which summarises and considers […]

SBP has today published two Work Instruction Documents, which provide a step-by-step description of the Certification Body Approval Procedure and the Certificate Holder Approval Procedure. In the interests of transparency, these documents illustrate the processes and the people that are involved in every approval decision made by SBP. The documents […]

SBP has today announced that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), Canada has become the third ‘SBP-approved’ Certification Body. PwC has provided evidence that it meets the SBP requirements regarding its existing accreditations and has demonstrated sufficient resource and competence to manage the SBP certification scheme under the SBP Framework. The SBP Framework […]

SBP has today published the SBP-endorsed Regional Risk Assessment for Estonia. The publication of the Regional Risk Assessment follows a period of public consultation and internal review by SBP, including an approval recommendation from the independent Technical Committee. SBP has also published a response to consultation, which summarises and considers […]

SBP has today published two proposed fee schedules, which will be effective from 1 October 2016. The first fee schedule is applicable to Certification Bodies and covers the fees associated with Certification Body approval and the review of a Certification Body’s certification decision in relation to applications for SBP certification. […]

SBP has today published the draft Instruction Document 5A v1.1. Interested parties are invited to provide written comments on the draft. Draft Instruction Document 5A v1.1 can be viewed here. Interested parties are asked to tabulate their responses into three columns headed: Section Number; Comments; and Suggested Solution. All written comments should […]

The Sustainable Biomass Partnership (SBP) has today announced the appointment of Carsten Huljus as its new, full time Chief Executive Officer. Mr Huljus, currently Managing Director of GFA Certification, will take up the appointment on 1 May 2016. He brings with him a wealth of experience and detailed understanding of […]

UK energy regulator, Ofgem, has today published a summary of the results of its benchmarking exercise of voluntary schemes against the UK’s Renewables Obligation land criteria for woody biomass. The SBP Framework has been evaluated and found to be fully compliant with the legislation. The summary of results can be […]

The Certification Body, BM TRADA Certification Ltd, was accepted as an applicant for ‘SBP-approved Certification Body’ status in November 2014. It is an SBP requirement that a reduction in scope or suspension of a relevant accreditation, such as for FSC® or PEFC, by another accreditation body leads to the suspension […]

SBP has today welcomed news of Europe’s first Biomass Producer certification. NEPCon, an SBP-approved Certification Body, has announced that it has certified Latvian pellet producer, SBE Latvia. The SBP certificate issued to SBE Latvia covers the use of FSC®-certified feedstock only. SBE Latvia also holds FSC® Chain of Custody certification. Commenting […]

SBP has today welcomed news of the first Biomass Producer certification. NSF International (NSF), an SBP-approved Certification Body, has announced that it has certified the Aliceville, Alabama facility of US pellet producer, Westervelt Renewable Energy LLC (Westervelt). The SBP certificate issued to Westervelt covers the manufacture of woody biomass pellets, […]

SBP has today announced that NSF International (NSF) has become an ‘SBP-approved’ Certification Body. NSF has provided evidence that it meets the SBP requirements regarding its existing accreditations and has demonstrated sufficient resource and competence to manage the SBP certification programme under the SBP Framework. The SBP Framework of standards […]

SBP has today published draft Regional Risk Assessments for the three Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Interested parties are invited to provide written comments on the drafts. Regional Risk Assessments are a key part of SBP’s focus on identifying and mitigating any risks associated with sourcing feedstock for […]

09SBP has today announced that NEPCon has become the first ‘SBP-approved’ Certification Body. NEPCon has provided evidence that it meets the SBP requirements regarding its existing accreditations and has demonstrated sufficient resource and competence to manage the SBP certification programme under the SBP Framework. The SBP Framework of standards and […]

The Sustainable Biomass Partnership (SBP) welcomes the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) initiative to develop a voluntary mechanism for the transfer of GHG emission-related data along the PEFC-certified supply chain. The SBP had identified this as an important opportunity for PEFC given that wood-for-energy producers need to […]

SBP has today announced that a further four Certification Bodies have been accepted as applicants and are now able to progress towards achieving SBP-approved status. The applicant Certification Bodies are: Forest Certification, KPMG Performance Registrar Inc., PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) and SGS. The SBP Framework of standards and processes enables producers […]

The Sustainable Biomass Partnership (SBP) has today launched the SBP Framework to representatives of the EU Institutions at an event in Brussels. The Framework consists of standards and independent certification procedures which together provide a tool enabling users of woody biomass for energy production to demonstrate the legal and sustainable […]

The Sustainable Biomass Partnership (SBP) has today announced the appointment of Julia Marton-Lefèvre as the Chairman of the new Board being established to provide advice to the SBP. Ms Marton-Lefèvre has been prominent in the scientific and environmental community and has recently stepped down as Director General of IUCN (International […]

SBP has today announced that Certification Body, SCS Global Services has been accepted as an applicant and is now able to progress towards achieving SBP-approved status. The SBP Framework of standards and processes enables producers of woody biomass to demonstrate that they source their raw material responsibly and that it […]

SBP has today announced that five Certification Bodies have been accepted as applicants and are now able to progress towards achieving SBP-approved status. The applicant Certification Bodies are: BM Trada, Bureau Veritas Latvia, Control Union, NEPCon and NSF. The SBP Framework of standards and processes enables producers of woody biomass […]

In the summer, SBP launched a pilot regional risk assessment in Lithuania to identify potential risks in the supply of sustainable woody biomass from the region. That assessment is now at an advanced stage and the SBP Board has approved the extension of the approach to Estonia and Latvia. Conducting […]

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 […]