Energy

Over half of global renewable energy generation is based on biomass. Non-fuel energy derived from biomass and advanced feedstocks is used for heat and power generation around the world – from homes to large scale power generation plants. The use of biomass and advanced feedstocks for this type of energy generation is increasing rapidly to meet global demands for decarbonisation and social & environmental sustainability.

ENERGY FAST FACTS

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WHAT NEXT FOR THE ENERGY SECTOR?

Governments are using biomass to replace coal and nuclear power and increasingly companies are shifting to biomass for heat generation to reduce GHG emissions from their operations and reduce other negative impacts associated with fossil resource consumption. However, this energy is not inherently sustainable or low emission. Ensuring that energy from biomass and advanced feedstocks provides positive social and environmental impacts along the supply chain requires energy producers ensure that their feedstocks do not have negative impacts on biodiversity, soil fertility and provide tangible GHG emission reductions.

Practical Solutions for the Energy Sector with RSB

The RSB Standard provides an approach to ensure that biomass and advanced feedstocks from crops, wastes and residues have a net positive impact.  RSB certification ensures that non-fuel energy is produced according to our 12 sustainability principles and criteria.

The RSB Standard can be applied across the entire supply chain for biomass production (crop-based biomass), and bio-based and advanced sources of waste and residues for non-fuel energy.

RSB certification is approved by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to demonstrate compliance with the sustainability requirements for palm residues under Japan’s Feed in Tariff (FIT) system​.

RSB is submitting the revised RSB EU RED Standard for recognition under recast (EU RED II) requirements. Under the new standard, bioenergy (or solid and gaseous ‘biomass fuels’ under EU terminology) is now included, with specific GHG reduction requirements from 2021.

KEY BENEFITS

The RSB’s pioneering approach drives continuous improvement and adaptation to new market challenges and opportunities. With credible solutions, innovative and advanced approaches to the latest sustainability challenges, we can deliver clear benefits and value to partners across the supply chain to the energy sector.

  • GHG Calculation Tool: RSB’s Greenhouse Gas calculation tool is a market-leading tool that can calculate emissions for cultivation, transport and industrial processing based on fewer default values and more real activity testing to deliver extremely reliable outcomes when compared with other calculators.
  • RSB Standard for Japan Feed in Tariff (FIT): RSB’s Japan FIT Standard supports operators along the biomass supply chain to deliver biomass for power production demonstrate their compliance with Japan’s FIT legislation.
  • Advanced Fuels: RSB covers all the requirements related to the waste and residues supply chain and industrial processing of biomass.
  • Traceability: RSB enables a variety of chain-of-custody systems to track feedstock from source to end use.
  • Forest Biomass:  RSB’s forest biomass requirements aim to ensure effective management of forests to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services to ensure the sustainable harvesting and processing of forest residues.

ADVISORY SERVICES

RSB offers a range of tailored advisory services to unlock our expertise and promote sustainability in the energy sector.

SOURCING POLICIES

Support to formulate feedstock sourcing policies that consider sustainability risks and unintended consequences.

RISK ASSESSMENT

Develop sustainability risk assessments for different fuel pathways – covering feedstock production, GHG assessment, fuel processing.

RESOURCE AVAILABILITY

Sustainable feedstock resource assessments uncover the potential feedstock production capacity at regional, national and international level based on sustainability criteria and regional, crop and temporal specific conditions.

RSB's Energy Team

Yitatek K. Yitbarek
Project Manager - Ethiopia // Sector Lead: Energy

Yitatek K. Yitbarek is RSB’s project manager in Ethiopia where his work focuses on developing a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) roadmap and managing engagement with key local and regional stakeholders who will play a role in driving the development of […]

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Arianna Baldo
Sector Lead: Aviation

Arianna leads RSB’s work in the aviation sector. At RSB she is coordinating a project in partnership with WWF South Africa and supported by the Boeing Global Engagement Programme that is researching and developing options for Sustainable Aviation Fuels, as […]

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Aurea Nardelli, PhD
Certification Manager and Technical Advisor

Aurea has overall responsibility for RSB’s certification system – providing support and oversight to everyone involved in RSB certification, from assurance and certification bodies to auditors and operators. Alongside this important work she is using her 20 years of experience […]

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Rolf Hogan
Executive Director

Rolf leads the work of the RSB Secretariat on behalf of the RSB Board of Directors. He ensures effective strategies, partnerships and finances are in place to fulfil the RSB mission. With an academic background in both natural and social […]

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Testimonial

Sustainability is inherent to our business model and the right thing to do. RSB offers Tasma a great platform to foster customer trust by verifying our commitment to sustainable operations.

Harshad Bhat, Vice President, Tasma Bioenergy

WHY RSB

By 2030, the RSB will have supported the emergence of a new world bioeconomy founded on social, economic and environmental considerations that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals – reducing climate impacts, enhancing food security and rural development, and protecting ecosystems.

With credible solutions, global expertise, partners across the spectrum from government to industry and NGOs, and an extremely robust approach to sustainability, RSB is the partner of choice for the aviation industry as it seeks to fulfil its global commitments to greenhouse gas reduction while also ensuring social development and environmental protection.

RSB is a member-led organisation which represents a worldwide movement of businesses, NGOs, academics, government and UN organisations that have demonstrated their commitment to the development of the sustainable bioeconomy by working together to create our most trusted Standard.

The RSB Standard is the strongest and most trusted of its kind, recognised as such by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).