Betting on best quality: A comparison of the quality and level of assurance of sustainability standards for biomass, soy and palm oil.

Foreword: Governments and the private sector are increasingly aware of the need to pursue sustainability for biomass. Over the past decades many criteria have been drawn up, mandatory or criteria in voluntary standard systems or in public-private agreements. As pressure on the earth’s ecosystems is mounting, putting all these criteria into practice is becoming increasingly urgent. Implementing certified sustainable production is one of the good governance measures needed to attain sustainability in value chains. Yet, amidst the many existing labels, the lack of clarity about what real quality production and certification entails, and the lack of pressure and willingness to pay for such quality, leads to a worldwide race to the bottom. This means that truly sustainable production is getting harder to attain, and the usefulness of certificates as a tool is being undermined. In this report we are taking on the challenge of providing clarity and guidance to companies and other stakeholders on which standards to use when aiming for sustainability for biomass, soy and palm oil. We hope that the readers feel inspired to act upon the findings. Our core message from the start: always bet on best quality when sustainability is at stake. We hope this report contributes to the continuous improvement of standards towards actual sustainable production of biomass, soy and palm oil. We continue to seek your comments, feedback and input, with a view to produce an update of this report in the years ahead. Maas Goote Executive Director IUCN National Committee of The Netherlands (IUCN NL) Please send comments to: benchmarkfeedback@iucn.nl