About the Process

Our Standards Development Process, launched in May 2020, is the first significant multi-stakeholder engagement undertaken by SBP following our transition to a multi-stakeholder governed organisation in 2019. The Standards Development Process is designed to encourage and realise a wide-ranging review, and where necessary revision, of our Standards with full stakeholder participation. SBP is seeking an open, inclusive, and constructive sharing of views, options and opinions amongst our stakeholder community.

The Process is part of the five-year cycle for our Standards, which were first published in 2015. We want to respond to feedback from our Certificate Holders on their experiences of implementing and living with our Standards, changing awareness of topics, such as forest carbon and biodiversity, and advances in best practice. At the same time, we must respond to the emerging demand in new geographies for using biomass as an energy source to enable climate goals to be met and ensure that we not only continue to effectively serve our existing markets but position ourselves to serve new ones.

We are mindful of our strategic objectives and to that end we will ensure that, as part of our certification system, the revised Standards meet our promise of good biomass and are robust and credible, whilst challenging ourselves to reach a higher level of excellence.

We are guided by our Document Development Procedure (DDP) and the ISEAL Codes of Good Practice in setting standards.

Our ambition

It is right that we set a high expectation for the outcome of the Standards Development Process. Where both operationally practicable and beneficial we aim to develop our Standards such that, as a minimum, we will always maintain a certification scheme that serves and meets the developing requirements of our existing markets and, where there is consensus across our stakeholders, go beyond.

When engaging in the Process, our stakeholders should be mindful of SBP’s objective to promote the environmentally, socially and commercial responsible use of biomass through the use of an independent certification scheme based on best practice. Therefore, the Standards Development Process should aim to strengthen the credibility and robustness of the Standards.

Managing the Process

The Secretariat will project manage the Standards Development Process and support the work of the various Working Groups responsible for developing the content, with significant input from our Standards Committee, Technical Committee and Stakeholder Advisory Group, as well as our Certificate Holders, Certification Bodies and our Accreditation Body.

Hearing from our stakeholders

As a multi-stakeholder governed organisation, SBP welcomes and encourages views and input from a wide range of stakeholders. The scope of the Standards Development Process is wide-ranging, and all topics are up for discussion and all contributions are welcomed, encouraged and valued. All interested parties will have plenty of opportunities to participate in the Process through getting involved in the work of the various Working Groups, public consultations, events or simply through getting in touch and providing us with views and ideas.

Decisions will be taken based on consensus, as set out in the Terms of Reference for each of the Working Groups, and every opportunity will be afforded for stakeholder voices to be heard and debate, challenge and discussion are encouraged.

Ultimately, it will fall to our multi-stakeholder Standards Committee to approve the Standards.

Read our Public Summary for a high level overview of our Standards Development Process.