Certifying the circular economy, verification required after new deal

(EurActiv, 2 Apr 2024) The EU’s new requirements for circularity, renewables and the bioeconomy will require verification if they are to work, after EU legislators came to a hard-fought agreement on revising the union’s legislation covering packaging and packaging waste.

The new regulation which will have direct binding requirements on companies, was subject to intense lobbying because it impacts so many different stakeholders. Those requirements, along with new rules affecting bio-based products, will require certification and verification.

One such certification scheme is the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) scheme, an independent multi-stakeholder initiative which has been certifying products and services as sustainable and climate-friendly around the world since 2006. It covers sustainable agricultural biomass, biogenic wastes and residues, non-biological renewable materials and recycled carbon-based materials.

ISCC EU has already been a key player in the EU’s biofuels strategy as one of the official schemes approved by the European Commission for biofuel producers to ensure they comply with relevant EU sustainability criteria. This includes proving that feedstocks do not come from high-carbon stock land such as forests or wetlands that were converted for feedstock production.

Verification audits

ISCC EU is empowered by the Commission to carry out verification audits at biofuels companies to ensure compliance with EU rules and to check that feedstocks are authentic.

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EurActiv, 2 Apr 2024: Certifying the circular economy, verification required after new deal