Standards Development

Scope

This document specifies requirements for part 1 a series of international standards under the general title Sustainable and traceable biogas. These standards establish a framework for assessing and ensuring the sustainability, traceability, and certification of biogas.

The document applies to all production pathways of biogas, including but not limited to anaerobic digestion of organic feedstocks, and covers aspects related to sustainability management, performance assessment, traceability, certification, and biomethane certification registry schemes. 

This series consists of the following parts:

Part 1: Requirements for biomethane certification registry schemes – Establishes requirements for biomethane certification registry schemes to authenticate and communicate sustainability attributes of biogas.

Part 2: Requirements for performance (related to sustainability aspects) – Establishes performance criteria for biogas production and use, addressing key sustainability indicators.

Part 3: Requirements for traceability – Defines requirements for traceability systems to track and verify the origin and sustainability attributes of biogas.

Part 4: Requirements for certification schemes – Specifies requirements for the development and operation of certification schemes ensuring compliance with sustainability and traceability requirements.

Part 5: Requirements for biogas sustainability management systems – Specifies requirements for implementing and maintaining a sustainability management system in biogas production, ensuring compliance with defined sustainability criteria.

This document applies to stakeholders involved in the biogas value chain, including producers, traders, certification bodies, regulators, and end-users.

Attempt will be made to synergize this proposal and another related but distinctly different proposal on the development of “Voluntary Certification Guidelines for Biomethane”.

Purpose

The increasing global focus on sustainable energy transition has led to significant growth in the production and utilization of biogas as a renewable energy source. However, the lack of internationally harmonized standards for sustainability, traceability, and certification of biogas has created barriers to market access, regulatory compliance, and cross-border trade.

This series of international standards, under the general title Sustainable and traceable biogas, aims to establish a consistent, transparent, and verifiable framework for assessing the sustainability and traceability of biogas. The proposed standards will provide clear requirements for sustainability management, traceability, and certification schemes, ensuring a uniform approach to verifying the (performance requirements) environmental and social attributes of biogas. The key purposes and justifications for developing this new work item are as follows:

1. Addressing the Market Need for Sustainable Biogas Certification There is a growing demand for credible sustainability certification of biogas to ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks such as the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), and other national sustainability policies. The proposed standards will provide clear requirements for sustainability management, traceability, and certification schemes, ensuring a uniform approach to verifying the environmental and social attributes of biogas.

2. Enabling International Trade and Market Access Existing certification schemes are often regionally fragmented and lack interoperability. The absence of globally recognized standards creates inefficiencies in international biogas trade, making it difficult for producers to demonstrate compliance across multiple jurisdictions. These standards will facilitateharmonization across markets, reducing trade barriers and enabling wider acceptance of certified biogas.

3. Enhancing Transparency and Credibility in the Biogas Sector Traceability is a key requirement for ensuring the integrity of sustainability claims related to biogas production and utilization. By defining standardized traceability and certificate of origin requirements, this series will enhance consumer and investor confidence, promoting wider adoption of sustainable biogas.

4. Supporting Climate Goals and Sustainability Commitments Biogas plays a critical role in decarbonizing energy systems and advancing circular economy principles. The standards will help organizations align with global climate commitments, such as the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:

a)SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)

b)SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)

c)SDG 13 (Climate Action)

5. Aligning with Industry and Regulatory Requirements Many stakeholders, including governments, industry associations, certification bodies, and NGOs, have called for standardized sustainability criteria for biogas. The proposed series will align with best practices in sustainability assessment, existing international standards on biofuels and bioenergy, and emerging regulatory requirements.

6. Providing a Robust Framework for Certification and Verification The inclusion of specific requirements for sustainability performance, certification schemes, and GoO systems will ensure a reliable and transparent process for third-party verification. This will provide greater assurance to buyers, regulators, and policymakers, helping to create a level playing field for sustainable biogas.

Following are the risks identified, and the strategies proposed to mitigate the risks:

Risk 1: Misalignment with National Standards and Regulatory Frameworks

Issue: Italy has a mature national standard for biogas traceability embedded in its policies and established as application of EU Directives on renewable energy. Other national schemes seems to be established also in other EU countries. The development of an ISO standard on the same subject risks creating discrepancies between the international and national frameworks for several EU countries. If the ISO standard conflicts with Italy’s and other EU Countries’ requirements, adoption would face legal and operational barriers, undermining harmonization goals and fragmenting compliance efforts. This misalignment could also discourage other EU member states with similar national standards from adopting the ISO standard, reducing its global relevance.

Implications: Regulatory Inertia: National standards tied to policy instruments (e.g., subsidies, tax incentives) may resist alignment with ISO requirements due to administrative or legislative complexities. Market Fragmentation: Divergent standards could create trade barriers, complicating cross-border transactions of biogas within the EU and globally.

Loss of Stakeholder Trust: Industry players already compliant with national standards may perceive the ISO process as redundant or disruptive. 

3. Phased Implementation and Capacity Building Pilot Testing: Launch pilot programs in key markets (e.g., Germany, Italy) to identify conflicts between ISO standards and national biomethane certificate registry systems. Refine the standard iteratively based on feedback. Training and Outreach: Partner with industry associations to educate stakeholders on the benefits of ISO harmonization. Provide tools for certification bodies to integrate ISO requirements into existing audits.

4. Governance and Monitoring Joint Advisory Panel: Establish a standing committee with representatives from national standardization bodies, certification schemes, and regulators to monitor implementation challenges andpropose updates. Dynamic Compliance Reporting: Develop a digital platform for tracking alignment between ISO standards, national policies, and certification schemes, ensuring transparency and adaptability.