The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has today published its updated Theory of Change (v3.0), setting out a clear, transparent framework for how the SBP certification scheme contributes to climate action, biodiversity protection, social responsibility and the responsible growth of the global bioeconomy.
Aligned with SBP’s refreshed Strategy 2026-2030, the updated Theory of Change articulates how SBP’s Standards, certification and assurance processes, data and traceability tools, and multi‑stakeholder engagement collectively support the sourcing of good biomass – biomass that is legally sourced, environmentally responsible, socially just and traceable.
As expectations for sustainability continue to rise and the bioeconomy expands into new sectors, the updated Theory of Change reflects SBP’s evolving remit beyond woody biomass for energy alone. It incorporates a broader application of the cascading use principle, recognises the emergence of new feedstocks such as non‑woody biomass, and responds to growing demand for credible evidence, transparency and alignment with regulatory frameworks.
Carsten Huljus, SBP Chief Executive Officer, commented: “Good biomass has an increasingly important role to play in the transition to a low‑carbon and circular bioeconomy. This updated Theory of Change shows clearly how the SBP certification scheme works in practice, from defining robust sustainability criteria, to ensuring credible assurance, collecting and communicating verified data, and engaging meaningfully with rights holders and stakeholders. It reflects our ambition to be a catalyst for positive change in the global bioeconomy and a trusted provider of independent sustainability assurance”.
The Theory of Change explains how SBP’s activities across its five strategic Focus Areas – standards development and regulatory compliance; certification and assurance; data capture, traceability and impact; engagement and collaboration with interested and impacted parties; and market development – lead to long‑term outcomes, including:
- Safeguarding forest carbon, biodiversity and ecosystem resilience
- Upholding labour rights, Indigenous Peoples’ rights and community wellbeing
- Enabling credible sustainability and climate‑related claims through verified data
- Supporting responsible market growth across diverse feedstocks, geographies and end‑use sectors
A key element of the update is the integration of SBP’s developing Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) approach, which will generate evidence to test assumptions, validate outcomes and support continuous improvement over time. The Theory of Change provides the strategic foundation for this learning‑led refinement.
The publication reinforces SBP’s commitment to inclusivity, transparency and evidence‑based decision‑making, and to working collaboratively with a wide range of interested and impacted parties, from Certificate Holders, to regulators, to civil society organisations.
The SBP Theory of Change v3.0 is available on the SBP website here.
