The Role of Certification in Sustainability

With the growth of standards and certification as the major tool for global production and trade to become more sustainable and for the private sector to demonstrate sustainability leadership, it is essential that there are ways to assess the legitimacy and performance of different initiatives. Company and government buyers, as well as NGOs and civil society groups committed to sustainable production, need clarity on which standards and ecolabels are delivering real social, environmental and economic results.

Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

How do approaches to sustainability for United States biomass compare and relate to other standards?

The United States' approach is distinct due to institutional mandates and historical emphasis on private land rights. Relevant data are collected and available from multiple public sources. Historical land use trends are published by the Economic Research Service of the Department of Agriculture. Management and monitoring of public natural resources in the United States is distributed among many different state and federal agencies. The Forest Service maintains up-to-date inventories of forest resources and forest products. While the United States Department of Agriculture monitors farm programs and cropland uses, management practices on private properties are influenced by tax laws, zoning, and permitting that vary by locality and state. Regulations govern air, water, biodiversity, health, etc. These aspects, combined with programs and public-private partnerships to monitor key resources, provide distinct information based on measurement of physical conditions. A key aspect of United States assessment involves processes that track and share data on:

• Productivity
• Greenhouse gases
• Air quality
• Water quantity and improved water quality
• Soils
• Physical conditions of the landscape including biodiversity
• Other environmental qualities
• Social well-being
• Energy security
• Trade
• Profitability
• Resource conservation
• Social acceptability

Other Helpful Resources:

• TPO

  Timber Products Output

  FIA conducts Timber Products Output (TPO) studies to estimate industrial and non-industrial uses of roundwood in a state. To estimate industrial uses of roundwood, all primary wood-using mills in a state are canvassed. 

• FIA

  Forest Inventory and Analysis

  The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program of the United States Forest Service provides the information needed to assess America's forests. 

• MLU

  Major Land Uses

  The United States land area covers nearly 2.3 billion acres. In 2012, the latest update to ERS's Major Land Uses (MLU) series, grassland pasture and range uses accounted for the largest share of the nation's land base, surpassing land in forest uses, which includes grazed forest land, for the first time since 1959.

How can I show compliance with sustainability standard requirements?

This depends on what market you want to reach and what product is applicable (see Standards By Source). Regulations often describe requirements and applicable standards (e.g.,

• RFS under Energy Policy Act and expanded by EISA
• Compliance with the RFS is handled by EPA, and EPA sets the annual targets for each fuel pathway
  • Compliance Overview: Renewable Fuel Standard Program,
  • Compliance Overview: Renewable Fuel Standard Program,
  • Renewable Fuel Standard Overview
• RFS (original)
• A Regulatory Impact Analysis provides more information
• RFS2 (update)
• Current registrants are listed by EPA
• A Regulatory Impact Analysis provides more information
• National academies: Renewable Fuel Standard
• Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
  • European Union Renewable Energy Directive
  • Recognized Voluntary schemes
• LCFS
  • Reducing Air Pollution - ARB Programs
  • Low Carbon Fuel Standard