ISO 13065:2015

Overview

ISO 13065:2015 - Sustainability criteria for bioenergy provides a standardized framework of principles, criteria and indicators to assess environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability across the bioenergy supply chain. It is applicable to the whole supply chain, parts of a supply chain or a single process, and to all forms of bioenergy regardless of feedstock, technology, geography or end use. The standard does not set thresholds or technical production methods and compliance alone does not determine that a product or process is sustainable - rather it facilitates consistent reporting and comparability.

Key topics and requirements

• Principles, criteria and indicators for sustainability covering environmental, social and economic dimensions.
• Environmental topics: greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting, water, soil, air, biodiversity, energy efficiency and waste management.
• Social topics: human rights, labour rights, land use rights and land-use change, and water-use rights.
• Economic topic: indicators for economic sustainability and viability.
• GHG methodologies: guidance on GHG assessments, system boundaries, time periods, carbon stock changes, treatment of co-products and waste, and procedures for comparing GHG performance.
• General requirements: scope definition, stakeholder involvement, relevance/significance assessment, legal requirements recording, traceability, data quality, science-based approach, and comparability.
• Informative guidance: annexes providing examples and technical guidance for water, soil, air, biodiversity, waste and GHG topics.
• Limitations: the standard does not prescribe threshold values - these can be set by economic operators, governments or certification schemes.

Practical applications

• Facilitate consistent sustainability reporting and comparability of bioenergy processes, products and supply chains.
• Support life cycle assessment (LCA) practitioners and GHG quantification for bioenergy products.
• Inform procurement decisions, business-to-business communications and supplier evaluations.
• Serve as a reference framework for certification schemes, auditors, regulators, policymakers, investors and NGOs seeking harmonized sustainability information.
• Help identify areas for continual improvement in environmental, social and economic performance.

Who should use it

• Bioenergy producers and feedstock suppliers
• Supply-chain managers and traders
• Certification bodies and auditors
• LCA/GHG assessors and sustainability consultants
• Policymakers, procurement officers and investors

Related standards

• ISO/TS 14067:2013 - Greenhouse gases - Carbon footprint of products (referenced by ISO 13065 for product GHG quantification guidance).

Keywords: ISO 13065:2015, sustainability criteria for bioenergy, bioenergy supply chain, GHG accounting, sustainability indicators, traceability, bioenergy certification.