The International Standard Organization (ISO) is developing a new standard concerning sustainability criteria for the further development of bioenergy.  This is a response to the current lack of harmonized criteria. The new standard is thought to be a helping tool for governments in order for them to meet their national fuel targets. Biofuel is an alternative with great potential in the future energy mix.

The ISO committee will hold its first meeting in April this year, and will tackle social, environmental and commercial issues. It is thought that especially developing countries could benefit from globally harmonized sustainability criteria.

Now the European Commission has adopted a report that will make recommendations for member states introducing national shemes in order to promote bioenergy and to reach the 2020 targets. The lack of accepted sustainability requirements could otherwise become an obstacle for the functioning of the internal market for biomass, with barriers to trade and limiting the growth of the bioenergy sector. Up to date the absence of harmonized rules at EU level leaves member states free to impose individual national schemes for solid and gaseous biomass used for electricity, heating and cooling.

“Biomass is one of the most important resources for reaching our renewable energy targets. It already contributes more than half of renewable energy consumption in the EU, providing a clean, secure and competitive energy resource,” said Gunther Oettinger, Commissioner responsible for Energy.

The report will provide recommendations for the use of solid biomass and biogas and will be reviewed and assessed in 18 months time.

The report recommends for plants with a capacity of at least 1 MW

• That no biomass is used from land converted from forest, other high carbon stock areas and highly biodiverse areas;
• That the origion is evident and monitored
• That minimum GHG savings compared to the current fossil energy mix are 35% for now and more in the future

The Renewable Energy Directive requires member states to submit their National Renewable Energy Action Plans by June 2010, and on that basis the Commission will identify Europe’s ambitions for exploiting its biomass potentials for the production of electricity, heat and fuel for transport.
Later, in 2011, the Comission will decide whether additional measures such as common sustainability criteria at EU level would be necessary.

Such recommendations and standards are valuable in order to ensure that proper consideration is taken into account with the social, economic and environmental aspects of the production, supply chain, and use of bioenergy. It is important that all schemes increasing the bioenergy sector are reappraised in regard to sustainability-if such criteria are fulfilled, biomass will play a key role in the transition to a clean energy mix.