Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SUSTCERT4BIOBASED (Sustainability Certification for Biobased Systems)
Période du rapport: 2022-06-01 au 2023-11-30
The SUSTCERT4BIOBASED project aims to develop a monitoring system to promote the adoption of the most robust and effective CSLs for industrial biobased systems.
The expected impact is that sustainability CSLs become robust, effective, and comprehensive in coverage and are harmonized towards achieving the requirements defined in the monitoring system. Increased awareness on the existing CSLs and costs versus benefits associated with their adoption, coupled with increased trust in certification systems with their assured credibility will enhance their adoption. This in turn will allow increased transparency and traceability of sustainability impacts along the value chains and trades within the EU and globally.
The highlights from this first period are summarised as follows. A categorisation was made for the range of biological resources intended for industrial biobased systems under four main categories (primary, secondary, tertiary residues, and primary dedicated) and 22 sub-categories. A categorisation of biobased products was made according to the sector in which they are used from the six industrial sectors (construction, woodworking, textiles, pulp and paper, chemicals and plastics) using NACE codes and corresponding subcategories from PRODCOM. A multicriteria methodology was applied for ranking to identify 18 most representative biobased value chains linking the biological resources and biobased products. For a selection of these value chains, data was gathered on global trade flows concerning EU production and trade volumes using international statistical sources, as well as on the extent of their certification. Furthermore, a conceptual model has been defined that can be used to empirically assess the potential impact of certification on trade flows of biobased commodities. Moreover, a collation of sustainability principles and criteria applicable to biological resources and biobased products was made by reviewing relevant EU legislation, standards and CSLs in the field of sustainable bioeconomy. Factsheets were prepared on 11 selected sustainability CSLs for industrial biobased systems. As input for the development of the BMS, 18 existing assessment and benchmarking tools and guidelines were reviewed with a focus on their requirements and rating and scoring methodologies used in the evaluation of CSLs. Finally, a methodology for conducting a cost and benefit assessment was proposed following a review of literature on their application to sustainability CSLs and on methods for internalising externalities.
To furthermore ensure the contribution of biobased products to the circular economy, circularity was considered as a separate dimension with its own set of principles and criteria, along with the environmental, social, and economic dimensions. The scope of the circularity dimension was extended beyond waste management to include sustainable resource use, recyclability, use of recycled materials and lifetime extension strategies. These themes are currently not specifically or explicitly addressed in CSLs.