214
cultivation of bioenergy plants and indirect impacts relating to the price of agricultural products require further study. Also, indicators do not serve to express the
direction and threshold values of measures and standards but to express the state of
progress toward sustainable development in individual countries (GBEP 2011).
RSB is an organization led by the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne,
consisting of more than 720 diverse stakeholder organizations, including biofuel
users, producers, policymakers, companies, and financial institutions. The body is
currently engaged in an initiative aimed at creating tools to help these stakeholders
make judgments about sustainability. It recently released version 2 of its RSB
Guidelines, which outline principles and standards for global-scale sustainable biofuel production, and in March 2011 launched a certification system connected to
these guidelines. This system conforms with regulations on biofuel requirements set
by the government of Germany, which aims at expanding the use of biodiesel and
will become an important importer in the future, as well as biofuel regulations based
on the EU directive.
A survey of initiatives relating to specific biofuel crops reveals that there are current international initiatives by bodies connected with the oil palm, soybean, and
sugarcane industries.
Table 13.1 Classification of standards and indicators on sustainable biofuels
Categories
Example of activities Outline
1. Voluntary standards,
indicators, and
certification systems
Global Bioenergy
Partnership (GBEP)
Development of voluntary standards and
indicators by G8 initiative
1.1. International and
regional activities
ISO, CEN
Voluntary standard, indicators, and
certification systems developed by businesses
and other stakeholders worldwide or
European wide
A. Governments and
international
organizations
B. NGO and others
RSB
Voluntary system of standards, indicators, and
certification of stakeholders lead by EPFL
1.2. Activities on each
biofuel energy crop
RSPO (oil palm),
RTSP (soybean),
BONSUCRO
(sugarcane)
Voluntary systems of standards, indicators,
and certification systems for each crop
developed and agreed upon by stakeholders
including producers
2. Regulatory
framework in a region
or country
EU, Germany, the
Netherlands, Brazil,
USA
Standards used by governments in order to
comply with “fuel mixing targets” and/or
“consumption targets” of biofuels
3. Score cards
IDB
Systems to improve the performance of a
project by scoring systems through assessing
environmental impacts, socioeconomic
impacts, and impacts on food security of a
biofuel project
WB/WWF
CEN the European Committee for Standardization, IDB Inter-American Development Bank,
WB/WWF World Bank/World Wildlife Foundation
S. Arai and H. Matsuda
cultivation of bioenergy plants and indirect impacts relating to the price of agricultural products require further study. Also, indicators do not serve to express the
direction and threshold values of measures and standards but to express the state of
progress toward sustainable development in individual countries (GBEP 2011).
RSB is an organization led by the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne,
consisting of more than 720 diverse stakeholder organizations, including biofuel
users, producers, policymakers, companies, and financial institutions. The body is
currently engaged in an initiative aimed at creating tools to help these stakeholders
make judgments about sustainability. It recently released version 2 of its RSB
Guidelines, which outline principles and standards for global-scale sustainable biofuel production, and in March 2011 launched a certification system connected to
these guidelines. This system conforms with regulations on biofuel requirements set
by the government of Germany, which aims at expanding the use of biodiesel and
will become an important importer in the future, as well as biofuel regulations based
on the EU directive.
A survey of initiatives relating to specific biofuel crops reveals that there are current international initiatives by bodies connected with the oil palm, soybean, and
sugarcane industries.
Table 13.1 Classification of standards and indicators on sustainable biofuels
Categories
Example of activities Outline
1. Voluntary standards,
indicators, and
certification systems
Global Bioenergy
Partnership (GBEP)
Development of voluntary standards and
indicators by G8 initiative
1.1. International and
regional activities
ISO, CEN
Voluntary standard, indicators, and
certification systems developed by businesses
and other stakeholders worldwide or
European wide
A. Governments and
international
organizations
B. NGO and others
RSB
Voluntary system of standards, indicators, and
certification of stakeholders lead by EPFL
1.2. Activities on each
biofuel energy crop
RSPO (oil palm),
RTSP (soybean),
BONSUCRO
(sugarcane)
Voluntary systems of standards, indicators,
and certification systems for each crop
developed and agreed upon by stakeholders
including producers
2. Regulatory
framework in a region
or country
EU, Germany, the
Netherlands, Brazil,
USA
Standards used by governments in order to
comply with “fuel mixing targets” and/or
“consumption targets” of biofuels
3. Score cards
IDB
Systems to improve the performance of a
project by scoring systems through assessing
environmental impacts, socioeconomic
impacts, and impacts on food security of a
biofuel project
WB/WWF
CEN the European Committee for Standardization, IDB Inter-American Development Bank,
WB/WWF World Bank/World Wildlife Foundation
S. Arai and H. Matsuda