Proposed ISO criteria get cool response from bioenergy sector

London,14 January: European bioenergy organisations have expressed concerns about plans by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for a new standard to address sustainability issues linked to bioenergy.

“The situation is getting messy,” said one leading figure in the biofuels industry, as this initiative adds to a plethora of standards already in place or being developed. These include work underway by the European Committee for Standardization, the Global Bioenergy Partnership which was set up by the G8 countries in 2006, the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive, various civil society initiatives and commercial standards being developed by some large producers and consulting companies.

The European Biomass Association (AEBIOM), which represents 33 national associations and more than 70 companies, also expressed concern. “There is a risk this could have an impact on the smooth development of the market,” Jean-Marc Jossart, secretary general, told Environmental Finance.

In particular, there is a risk that smaller participants could be excluded from the market by such a development, he added, leaving an industry dominated by multinationals. He noted that this is already happening in the palm oil sector.  

AEBIOM last month said that non-binding measures would provide an adequate guarantee of sustainability of biomass.

There has been mounting concern in recent years that increased use of bioenergy could have adverse impacts on food prices, biodiversity and water supplies, and may not lead to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

The ISO has formed a project committee to develop the standard, which will be labelled ISO 13065. It claims the standard “will be particularly valuable in helping developing countries’ producers to compete”. The committee will hold its first meeting in April.