Today, the Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has launched the public consultation on the newly developed Regional Risk Assessments (RRA) for Norway.
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 and initiating the development of new RRAs. The consortium of Stora Enso Skog AS, Norsk Biobrensel AS, Viken AT Market AS, AT Skog SA and Nortømmer AS, supported by a team of experts from NORSKOG, was appointed as the Working Body responsible for drafting the new RRA for Norway. The draft RRA has now been submitted to SBP.
The geographical scope for the RRA is the entire forested area of Norway. However, as most of that area is certified according to PEFC, the RRA is limited to PEFC-certified forests. The SBP Benchmarking and Recognition Framework and its associated evaluation of the PEFC scheme concludes that 31 of the 42 indicators of SBP Standard 1 are fully covered by PEFC certification. Accordingly, the RRA addresses only the 11 indicators of SBP Standard 1 that are not already covered by PEFC certification at the forest level.
SBP is inviting all stakeholders to participate in the public consultations on the draft RRA. All comments from the public consultations, alongside comments from local experts mandated by SBP, will be reviewed by the Secretariat and may lead to changes to the draft RRA. An Interim RRA will then be published by SBP (expected Q4 2025) for Biomass Producers to use for certification purposes.
The draft RRA can be accessed via the Feedback Platform, stakeholders are requested to submit comments through that platform. The consultation closes on Friday, 15 August 2025.
If you have any questions regarding the public consultation or the RRA development procedure, please do not hesitate to contact us at RRA@sbp-cert.org.
RRAs are a key part of SBP’s focus on identifying and managing risks associated with sustainably sourcing feedstock for biomass production. With an RRA covering an entire geographic region, and determining the risks associated with sourcing feedstock from that region, the need for individual Biomass Producers to conduct risk assessments is avoided, leading to an efficient and consistent risk assessment process. RRAs also ensure active engagement with a diverse range of stakeholders in the region.
