One of the primary efforts of the BIOBASEDCERT cluster, formed by sister projects SUSTCERT4BIOBASED, STAR4BBS and HARMONITOR, concerns the joint development of the BIOBASEDCERT Monitoring System (BMS). The BMS aims to assess the comprehensiveness, robustness, and effectiveness of sustainability certification schemes and labels (CSLs) for biobased value chains. By identifying the strengths and weaknesses of CSLs, the BMS seeks to contribute to their improvement, thereby driving the transition to a more sustainable bioeconomy.
What is the status of the BMS development?
With the final phase of the projects approaching, the BMS design process is in its final stages. The cluster kicked off the tool’s development process in June 2023. In February 2024, the completion of a first draft marked an important milestone. Since then, the cluster has been testing the BMS in collaboration with selected prominent CSLs. The cluster has also been engaging with relevant stakeholders through different stakeholder events, such as an online co-creation workshop in December 2023 and a side event organised as part of the EUBCE conference in Marseille in June 2024 for collecting feedback and input for the further development of the BMS.
The first testing round featured the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Roundtable for Sustainable Biomass (RSB) and the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. Strong variations between these CSLs were found, for example, in their coverage of operational and sustainability aspects, evaluation and scoring methodologies, and definition of impact. Recognizing the diverse nature and unique characteristics of different CSLs, the cluster enhanced the tool’s applicability during a revision round over the summer of 2024 using insights from testing, resulting in a new version of the BMS ready for the second testing phase.
What next steps can be expected?
With an updated version of the tool ready, the second testing phase has started in September 2024. This round, in which the cluster closely collaborates with six new CSLs, is expected to be finalized early 2025 and will aid in further refining the BMS. In the meantime, the cluster is organising several engagements with different end users to better understand their needs in terms of applying the BMS. On December 4th 2024, BIOBASEDCERT will host an event with CSL owners and policy makers in Brussels. Active involvement of key stakeholders is essential to unlock the potential of the tool beyond the end of the project.
Stay tuned for our upcoming insights from the second testing round and our next dissemination actions!
