European Commissioners have approved the sustainability verification system developed by Neste Oil that the company uses to ensure its biodiesel is produced under sustainable conditions. This company news release says the system “complies with the standards set for reliability, transparency, and independent third-party auditing.”
The new, officially approved verification system covers all diesel fuel produced from renewable feedstocks. In accordance with the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive, strict limits are imposed on where feedstocks can be cultivated and where cultivation cannot take place. Forestland must not be cleared to produce biofuels and inputs cannot be grown on peat bogs, wetlands, other high carbon stock land, or in environmentally sensitive areas. The system also establishes strict requirements covering issues such as the traceability of the supply chain.
“To date, we have primarily relied on the RSPO and ISCC verification systems,” says Pekka Tuovinen, Neste Oil’s Director, Sustainability and Supplier Compliance. “Our own system, which has now been approved by the Commission, is a useful addition for verifying the sustainability of renewable inputs, particularly waste and residues.”