Eligible Depots, Traders, and Retailers

Any type of biomass-based fuel is eligible for ISCC certification. ISCC recognizes all EU RED-approved biomass certifications, which provides increased flexibility for biofuel blenders and traders. High risk materials such as wastes certified by other schemes may be accepted by ISCC following an equivalency benchmark conducted by ISCC.

ISCC Criteria

ISCC documents the production of bioenergy with a mass balance system along the complete supply chain – starting at the farm or plantation, towards the mineral oil companies, power plant-operators and other users.

To earn certification, a biofuel must:

• Have a reduced carbon footprint
• Meet minimum social, environmental and traceability criteria
• Avoid harvesting from highly biodiverse or carbon-rich areas
• Adhere to international fair labor practices

Complementary Services

SCS Global Services offers complementary sustainable agriculture and biofuel certification services, including Bonsucro certification and RSB certification for sustainable sugarcane, third-party certification for Fair Trade USA, and GLOBALG.A.P.

1. Apply for Certification

   Fill out an SCS Application form, which provides us with the details of your site and operation. SCS will return a proposal for your approval with suggested scope of work, timeline and quote. To initiate the certification process, return a signed proposal and work order.

2. Pre-Assessment (Optional)

   Review your current systems and practices against the requirements of the ISCC Standard in order to identify areas that may need further work before undertaking a full audit. Consider undertaking a pre-assessment with SCS.

3. Register On-line

   SCS registers your company with ISCC’s on-line management system.

4. Schedule an Audit

   SCS assigns an auditor and audit dates will be proposed. Once an audit date is confirmed, an audit plan is provided to ensure that your team is prepared.

5. On-site Audit

   An on-site assessment of your operations is carried out to evaluate your compliance with the ISCC Standard. After the audit is completed, the SCS auditor provides you with an Audit Report that lists any non-conformities. You can discuss these findings and ask questions with the auditor at the closing meeting.

6. Complete Corrective Actions

   Identified non-conformities must be addressed and evidence of corrective actions provided to SCS within a specific time. In some circumstances it may be necessary for the auditor to return to the site to check that appropriate corrective action has been taken.

7. Make Certification Decision

   SCS reviews the Audit Report and Corrective Action documentation to make a certification decision.

8. Receive Certificate

   For those who achieve certification, a final audit report and certificate is issued. A copy of the report is automatically sent to the ISCC.

According to the European Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/EC), biomass for use in the European Union (EU) for liquid and transport biofuels may only receive feed-in tariffs, qualify for tax deductions, or be counted towards renewable energy targets if the biomass used is produced in a sustainable way.

The EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED) aims to ensure that biomass is not produced at the expense of valuable natural habitats. Examples of such habitats are primary forest, biodiversity hotspots or wetlands. Moreover, the EU directive mandates that the net greenhouse gas emissions associated with the use of certified biofuels be at least 35 percent lower than GHG emissions associated with the use of fossil fuels.

Germany was the first EU member state to develop a certification scheme for sustainable biomass production. The ISCC system has been approved by the German Authority BLE as the first certification system to prove adherence to German sustainability ordinances. The acts regulate the procedures for proof of sustainability and for certification.