ISO 13065:2015

Sustainability criteria for bioenergy

ISO 13065:2015 specifies principles, criteria and indicators for the bioenergy supply chain to facilitate assessment of environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability. ISO 13065:2015 is applicable to the whole supply chain, parts of a supply chain or a single process in the supply chain. ISO 13065:2015 applies to all forms of bioenergy, irrespective of raw material, geographical location, technology or end use. ISO 13065:2015 does not establish thresholds or limits and does not describe specific bioenergy processes and production methods. Compliance with ISO 13065:2015 does not determine the sustainability of processes or products. ISO 13065:2015 is intended to facilitate comparability of various bioenergy processes or products. It can also be used to facilitate comparability of bioenergy and other energy options.

Critères de durabilité pour la bioénergie

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 10-Sep-2015
• ICS: 13.020.99 - Other standards related to environmental protection
• Technical Committee: ISO/TMBG - Technical Management Board - groups
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TMBG - Technical Management Board - groups
• Current Stage: 9093 - International Standard confirmed
• Start Date: 21-Sep-2021
• Completion Date: 12-Feb-2026

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.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 13065
First edition
2015-09-15
Sustainability criteria for bioenergy
Critères de durabilité pour la bioénergie
Reference number
©
ISO 2015
© ISO 2015, Published in Switzerland
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior
written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of
the requester.
ISO copyright office
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ii © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 General requirements and recommendations . 9
4.1 General . 9
4.2 Purpose and context . 9
4.3 Scope of assessment . 9
4.4 Stakeholder involvement . 9
4.5 Relevance and significance .10
4.6 Recording of legal requirements .10
4.7 Time periods .11
4.8 Science-based approach.11
4.9 Data and information .11
4.10 Traceability .12
4.11 Comparability.12
4.12 Direct and indirect effects .13
4.13 Ecosystem services .13
5 Principles, criteria and indicators .13
5.1 General .13
5.2 Environmental principles, criteria and indicators .13
5.2.1 GHG .13
5.2.2 Water .14
5.2.3 Soil .14
5.2.4 Air .15
5.2.5 Biodiversity .15
5.2.6 Energy efficiency.16
5.2.7 Waste .16
5.3 Social principles, criteria and indicators .17
5.3.1 Human rights .17
5.3.2 Labour rights .17
5.3.3 Land use rights and land use change .19
5.3.4 Water use rights .19
5.4 Economic principle, criteria and indicators .20
5.4.1 Economic sustainability.20
6 Greenhouse gas methodologies, assessments and comparisons .20
6.1 General .20
6.2 Special considerations for time periods for GHG assessments .21
6.2.1 General.21
6.2.2 Reference system .21
6.3 Assigning GHG emissions or GHG removals from carbon stock change in biomass
and soil to the bioenergy product . .22
6.4 Other climate-forcing agents .22
6.5 Functional and delivered units .22
6.6 Treatment of co-products in a GHG quantification .23
6.6.1 General.23
6.6.2 Procedures for treatment of co-products .23
6.7 Treatment of waste.24
6.8 System boundaries .24
6.9 Process for comparison to determine GHG reduction .24
Annex A (informative) Example format for summarizing information .25
Annex B (informative) Guidance related to water indicators .30
Annex C (informative) Guidance related to soil indicators .34
Annex D (informative) Guidance related to air indicators .39
Annex E (informative) Guidance related to biodiversity indicators .43
Annex F (informative) Guidance related to waste indicators .47
Annex G (informative) Child labour (text from ISO 26000:2010) .51
Annex H (informative) Greenhouse gas .52
Bibliography .55
iv © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity
assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the WTO principles in the Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: Foreword - Supplementary information
The committee responsible for this document is Project Committee ISO/PC 248, Sustainability criteria
for bioenergy.
Introduction
The production and use of bioenergy have potential roles in mitigating climate change, promoting energy
security and fostering sustainable development. This International Standard is designed to provide a
consistent basis on which the sustainability of bioenergy can be assessed within a defined context and
for a specified purpose. This International Standard provides principles, criteria and indicators. The
principles reflect aspirational goals while the criteria and indicators address sustainability aspects and
the information that is to be provided. However, the indicators in this International Standard might not
comprehensively capture all sustainability aspects for all bioenergy processes.
Virtually every country in the world uses some form of bioenergy. Various types of biomass are used for
the production of bioenergy through many types and sizes of economic operations. The characteristics
of bioenergy production therefore are heterogeneous and depend on several factors, such as geography,
climate, level of development, institutions and technologies.
The purpose of this International Standard is to provide a framework for considering environmental,
social and economic aspects that can be used to facilitate the evaluation and comparability of bioenergy
production and products, supply chains and applications. As part of the development of this International
Standard, other relevant sustainability initiatives and International Standards were considered.
This International Standard aims to facilitate the sustainable production, use and trade of bioenergy
and will enable users to identify areas for continual improvement in the sustainability of bioenergy.
It can be used in several ways. It can facilitate business-to-business communications by providing a
standard framework that allows businesses to “speak the same language” when describing aspects of
sustainability. Purchasers can use this International Standard to compare sustainability information
from suppliers to help identify bioenergy processes and products that meet their requirements. Other
standards, certification initiatives and government agencies can use this International Standard as a
reference for how to provide information regarding sustainability.
This International Standard does not provide threshold values. Threshold values can be defined by
economic operators in the supply chain and/or other organizations (e.g. government). Sustainability
information provided through the use of this International Standard can then be compared with
defined threshold values.
In International Standards, the following verbal forms are used:
— “shall” indicates a requirement;
— “should” indicates a recommendation;
— “may” indicates a permission;
— “can” indicates a possibility or a capability.
Further details can be found in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
vi © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 13065:2015(E)
Sustainability criteria for bioenergy
1 Scope
This International Standard specifies principles, criteria and indicators for the bioenergy supply chain
to facilitate assessment of environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability.
This International Standard is applicable to the whole supply chain, parts of a supply chain or a single
process in the supply chain. This International Standard applies to all forms of bioenergy, irrespective
of raw material, geographical location, technology or end use.
This International Standard does not establish thresholds or limits and does not describe specific
bioenergy processes and production methods. Compliance with this International Standard does not
determine the sustainability of processes or products.
This International Standard is intended to facilitate comparability of various bioenergy processes or
products. It can also be used to facilitate comparability of bioenergy and other energy options.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO/TS 14067:2013, Greenhouse gases — Carbon footprint of products — Requirements and guidelines for
quantification and communication
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
allocation
partitioning the input or output flows of a process (3.36) or a product system (3.38) between the product
system under study and one or more other product systems
[SOURCE: ISO 14040:2006, 3.17]
3.2
biodiversity
biological diversity
variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other
aquatic ecosystems (3.14) and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity
within species, between species and of ecosystems
[27]
[SOURCE: United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity ]
3.3
bioenergy
energy derived from biomass (3.4)
Note 1 to entry: Biomass can be processed into solid, liquid or gaseous fuels or stored energy in biomass can be
directly converted into other forms of energy (e.g. heat, light).
3.4
biomass
raw material (3.40) of biological origin excluding material embedded in geological formations or
transformed to fossilized material
[SOURCE: ISO 13833:2013, 3.2, modified — The word “raw” has been added, because “raw material (3.40)”
is also defined in this International Standard, and “fossil” has been changed to “fossilized material”.]
3.5
book and claim
chain-of-custody (3.7) system where, from the production of raw material (3.40) to the final product
(3.37) for consumption, the information on sustainability (3.48) is decoupled from the physical product
Note 1 to entry: The system allows for the product itself and attributes of sustainability to be traded separately.
3.6
carbon dioxide equivalent
CO equivalent
CO e
unit for comparing the radiative forcing of a greenhouse gas (3.21) to that of carbon dioxide
Note 1 to entry: Mass of a greenhouse gas is converted into CO equivalents using global warming potentials.
[SOURCE: ISO/TS 14067:2013, 3.1.3.2, modified — Original Note 2 to entry has been omitted.]
3.7
chain-of-custody
chain of responsibility for or control of materials as they move through each step of the process (3.36)
or product system (3.38) under assessment
3.8
child labour
work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to
their physical and mental development
Note 1 to entry: This is a frequently used definition according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).
[22]
[SOURCE: International Labour Organization, “What is child labour” , modified]
3.9
competent national authority
applicable national regulatory body or authority designated or otherwise recognized as such by the
national regulatory body for any purpose in connection with the requirements, recommendations and
principles (3.34), criteria (3.11) and indicators (3.27) in this International Standard
[SOURCE: ISO 16883:2007, 3.1, modified — The word “national” has been added to term, “any” has been
changed to “applicable”, “by the national regulatory body” has been added and “regulations specified”
has been changed to “requirements, recommendations and principles, criteria and indicators”.]
3.10
co-product
any of two or more products (3.37) coming from the same unit process (3.51) or product system (3.38)
[SOURCE: ISO 14040:2006, 3.10]
3.11
criterion
requirement that describes what is to be assessed
Note 1 to entry: A criterion adds meaning and operability to a principle (3.34) without itself being a direct
measure of performance.
2 © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

Note 2 to entry: A criterion is characterized by a set of related indicators (3.27).
3.12
direct effects
measurable environmental, social and economic effects under the direct control of the economic
operator (3.13) and caused by the process (3.36) being analysed
Note 1 to entry: Activities under direct control are defined as activities conducted by or subcontracted by the
economic operator.
Note 2 to entry: Subcontracted activities are activities undertaken by a subcontractor, being an organization
(3.33) that undertakes aspects of the processing, handling, storage, transport or distribution of the products
(3,37), co-products (3.10) or waste (3.52) on behalf of the economic operator (3.13), on a contractual basis, either
paid or non-paid.
Note 3 to entry: Direct effects within the scope of this International Standard are considered under the criteria
(3.11) and indicators (3.27) in Clause 5.
Note 4 to entry: Processes (3.36) inside the defined system boundaries (3.50) are included based on International
Standards (e.g. ISO 14040 and 14044) even if they are outside the direct control of the economic operator.
Note 5 to entry: Other potential effects may be added to the consideration when an international consensus
standard is established for the effect.
3.13
economic operator
individual or organization (3.33) that has ownership or control of one or more processes (3.36) of the
bioenergy supply chain
3.14
ecosystem
system of complex interactions between communities of plants, animals, microorganisms and their
environment (3.16), which functions as a unit
3.15
ecosystem services
benefits people obtain from ecosystems (3.14) including provisioning, regulating, supporting, and
cultural services
[26]
[SOURCE: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: Ecosystems and Human Well-being Synthesis ]
3.16
environment
surroundings in which an organization (3.33) operates, including air, water, land, natural resources,
flora, fauna, humans and their interrelations
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, 3.2.1, modified — Original Notes 1 and 2 to entry have been omitted.]
3.17
food security
physical and economic access, at all times, to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet dietary needs
and food preferences for an active and healthy life
[18]
[SOURCE: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) ]
3.18
forced or compulsory labour
work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the
said person has not offered himself voluntarily
[21]
[SOURCE: International Labour Organization (ILO): Forced Labour Convention (No. 29) ]
3.19
forest
land spanning more than 0,5 ha with trees higher than 5 m and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent or
trees able to reach these thresholds in situ, not including land that is predominantly under agricultural
or urban land use
Note 1 to entry: According to FAO, stands in agricultural production systems, such as agroforestry systems when
crops are grown under tree cover, fruit tree plantations and oil palm plantations, are excluded. FAO provides
additional explanation about what a forest includes (see Reference [19]).
[19]
[SOURCE: FAO Forestry Paper 163 , modified — Additional explanation about what a forest includes
has been omitted and Note 1 to entry has been added.]
3.20
global warming potential
GWP
characterization factor describing the radiative forcing impact (3.26) of one mass-based unit of a given
greenhouse gas (3.21) relative to that of carbon dioxide over a given period of time
Note 1 to entry: “Characterization factor” is defined in ISO 14040:2006, 3.37.
[SOURCE: ISO/TS 14067:2013, 3.1.3.4, modified — Original Note 1 to entry has been omitted, because
this is addressed in Note 1 to definition of “greenhouse gas”.]
3.21
greenhouse gas
GHG
natural or anthropogenic gaseous constituent of the atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation at
specific wavelengths within the spectrum of infrared radiation emitted by the earth’s surface, the
atmosphere, and clouds
Note 1 to entry: A list of greenhouse gases with their recognized global warming potentials (3.20) is provided in
ISO/TS 14067:2013, Annex A.
Note 2 to entry: Water vapour and ozone are anthropogenic as well as natural greenhouse gases but are not
included as recognized greenhouse gases due to difficulties, in most cases, in isolating the human-induced
component of global warming attributable to their presence in the atmosphere.
[SOURCE: ISO/TS 14067:2013, 3.1.3.1, modified — The qualifier “both natural and anthropogenic” has
been changed to “natural or anthropogenic” and moved to beginning of definition.]
3.22
greenhouse gas emission
GHG emission
release of a greenhouse gas (3.21) to the atmosphere
[SOURCE: ISO/TS 14067:2013, 3.1.3.5, modified — The verb “released” has become the subject of the
definition as “release”, replacing “mass”, and the original source reference has been omitted.]
3.23
greenhouse gas removal
GHG removal
removal of a greenhouse gas (3.21) from the atmosphere
[SOURCE: ISO/TS 14067:2013, 3.1.3.6, modified — The verb “removed” has become the subject of the
definition as “removal”, replacing “mass”, and the original source reference has been omitted.]
4 © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

3.24
hazardous work
work which by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out is likely to harm the health,
safety or morals of persons
Note 1 to entry: This definition refers specifically to hazardous work by persons as defined in Table G.1.
3.25
human rights
rights inherent to all human beings, whatever their nationality, place of residence, sex, national or
ethnic origin, colour, religion, language or any other status
Note 1 to entry: Universal human rights are often expressed and guaranteed by law in the form of treaties,
customary international law, general principles and other sources of international law. International human
rights law lays down obligations of governments to act in certain ways or to refrain from certain acts in order to
promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of individuals or groups.
[29]
[SOURCE: United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights , modified]
3.26
impact
change, adverse or beneficial, caused by the process (3.36) being assessed
[SOURCE: ISO 15392:2008, 3.13, modified — The words “any” and “that may be” have been omitted and
“caused by the process being assessed” has been added.]
3.27
indicator
quantitative, qualitative or binary variable that can be measured or described, in response to a defined
criterion (3.11)
3.28
land use change
change in the use or management of land by humans, which can lead to a change in land cover
Note 1 to entry: A rotation period (3.43) in a management cycle does not constitute land use change.
[24]
[SOURCE: IPCC Fourth Assessment Report , modified]
3.29
land use rights
form of land tenure, whether formal or informal, including customary rights or traditions
Note 1 to entry: There is great variability in land use rights in different parts of the world as they relate to
systems of ownership and property rights.
3.30
life cycle
consecutive and interlinked stages of a product system (3.38), from raw material (3.40) acquisition or
generation from natural resources to final disposal
[SOURCE: ISO 14040:2006, 3.1]
3.31
light work
work that is not likely to be harmful to a person’s health or development and does not interfere with
a child’s attendance at school or participation in vocational orientation or training programmes or a
person’s capacity to benefit from the instruction received
Note 1 to entry: This definition refers specifically to light work by persons as defined in Table G.1.
3.32
mass balance
chain-of-custody (3.7) system where, from the production of a raw material (3.40) to the final
product (3.37) for consumption, the information on sustainability (3.48) can be traced to a specific
production quantity
Note 1 to entry: The system allows for mixing of products with differing information on sustainability or with no
information on sustainability.
3.33
organization
company, corporation, firm, enterprise, cooperative, authority or institution, or part or combination
thereof, whether incorporated or not, public or private, that has its own functions and administration
Note 1 to entry: For organizations with more than one operating unit, a single operating unit may be defined as
an organization.
[SOURCE: ISO 14064-1:2006, 2.22, modified — The word “cooperative” has been added to the definition
and Note 1 to entry has been added.]
3.34
principle
aspirational goal that governs decisions or behaviour
3.35
procedure
specified way to carry out an activity or a process (3.36)
Note 1 to entry: Procedures can be documented or not.
Note 2 to entry: When a procedure is documented, the term “written procedure” or “documented procedure” is
frequently used. The document that contains a procedure can be called a “procedure document”.
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2015, 3.4.5, modified — Note 2 to entry has been added.]
3.36
process
set of interrelated or interacting activities which transforms inputs into outputs
Note 1 to entry: Inputs to a process are generally outputs of other processes.
Note 2 to entry: Processes in an organization (3.33) are generally planned and carried out under controlled
conditions to add value.
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2015, 3.4.1, modified — The words “that use inputs to deliver an intended result”
have been changed to “which transforms inputs into outputs” and Notes to entry have been modified.]
3.37
product
goods or service
[SOURCE: ISO 14040:2006, 3.9, modified — The word “any” has been omitted from the definition and
the original Notes to entry have been omitted.]
3.38
product system
collection of unit processes (3.51) with elementary and product flows, performing one or more defined
functions, and which models the life cycle (3.30) of a product (3.37)
[SOURCE: ISO 14040:2006, 3.28]
6 © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

3.39
protected area
clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal means, to achieve
the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services (3.15) and cultural values
[25]
[SOURCE: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) , modified]
3.40
raw material
feedstock
primary or secondary material that is used to produce a product (3.37)
Note 1 to entry: Secondary material includes recycled, reused or recovered material.
Note 2 to entry: Raw material/feedstock also includes agricultural, forest and processing residues.
[SOURCE: ISO 14040:2006, 3.15, modified — Feedstock has been added as a second term, the words
“reused or recovered” have been added to Note 1 to entry, and Note 2 to entry has been added.]
3.41
regular work
work with the condition that the health, safety and morals of the persons concerned are fully
protected and that the persons have received adequate specific instruction or training in the relevant
branch of activity
Note 1 to entry: This definition refers specifically to regular work by persons as defined in Table G.1.
3.42
riparian zone
area bordering on streams, lakes and wetlands that links water to land
[20]
[SOURCE: Government of British Columbia, Ministry for Environment , modified]
3.43
rotation period
amount of time required to complete a full management cycle associated with the growth and
harvesting of raw material(s) (3.40) to be used in the process (3.36) being analysed
Note 1 to entry: In forestry, the rotation period is the time required to establish and grow the forest to
merchantable size including fallow periods.
Note 2 to entry: In agriculture, the rotation period can vary between a single, annual crop rotation and more
complex rotations involving several annual and perennial crops and/or fallow periods.
3.44
segregation
chain-of-custody (3.7) system where, from the production of a raw material (3.40) to the final product
(3.37) for consumption, the information on sustainability (3.48) remains traceable to the physical product
Note 1 to entry: The system does not permit mixing other products with differing information on sustainability
or with no information on sustainability with the segregated product.
3.45
social security
access to health care and income security, particularly in cases of old age, unemployment, sickness,
invalidity, work injury, maternity or loss of a main income earner
Note 1 to entry: Social security can vary from one country to another.
[23]
[SOURCE: International Labour Organization, “Social protection” , modified].
3.46
stakeholder
individual, group or organization (3.33) that can affect or be directly affected by the process (3.36)
under assessment within the supply chain (3.47)
Note 1 to entry: Stakeholders may include regulatory bodies, customers, neighbours, local communities,
employees, suppliers, etc.
[SOURCE: ISO 13824:2009, 3.20, modified — Wording aligned to the context of this International
Standard instead of general principles on risk assessment of systems involving structures, and Note 1
to entry has been added.]
3.47
supply chain
linked set of resources and processes (3.36) that begins with the sourcing of raw material (3.40)
(including biomass (3.4) production where applicable) and extends through transport and storage of
products (3.37) to the end user
Note 1 to entry: The supply chain may include raw material producers, vendors, manufacturing facilities, logistics
providers, internal distribution centres, distributors, wholesalers and other entities that lead to the end user.
[SOURCE: ISO 28000:2007, 3.9, modified — The words “including biomass production where applicable”,
“and including” and “raw material producers” have been added; “the delivery” has been changed to
“transport and storage”, and “or services” and “across the modes of transport” have been omitted.]
3.48
sustainability
goal of sustainable development which encompasses environmental, social and economic aspects, in
which the needs of the present are met without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their needs
Note 1 to entry: Environmental, social and economic aspects interact and are interdependent. They are referred
to as the three pillars of sustainability.
Note 2 to entry: Sustainability is a comparative concept, not a state or absolute value.
3.49
sustainability aspect
element of activities or products (3.37) of an economic operator (3.13) that can have environmental,
social and economic impacts (3.26)
3.50
system boundary
set of criteria specifying which unit processes (3.51) are part of a product system (3.38)
[SOURCE: ISO 14040:2006, 3.32, modified — Original Note to entry has been omitted.]
3.51
unit process
smallest element considered in the life cycle inventory analysis for which input and output data are
quantified
[SOURCE: ISO 14040:2006, 3.34]
3.52
waste
substances or objects which the holder intends or is required to dispose of
[SOURCE: ISO 14040:2006, 3.35, modified — Original Note to entry has been omitted.]
8 © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

3.53
water-scarce country
country where annual water supplies drop below 1 000 m per person
[SOURCE: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Freshwater availability in the
world, on a country basis, in 2007]
4 General requirements and recommendations
4.1 General
Clause 4 contains overarching elements that are applicable to the indicators in this International
Standard. This clause includes requirements that need to be fulfilled when providing information
in accordance with Clause 5 and recommendations as well as guidance to help the user to better
understand this International Standard.
The effort expended to respond to the indicators in Clause 5 should not impose undue administrative
or economic burden for the economic operator. This International Standard therefore offers flexibility,
allowing the economic operator to deal with the sustainability aspects that are relevant and significant
to the operator’s activities (see 4.5) and to use aggregated data and information (see 4.9).
4.2 Purpose and context
The purpose of conducting the assessment using this International Standard shall be clearly
documented. The context shall also be documented including geographic areas, level of aggregation and
affected stakeholders. The purpose and context are necessary to determine the scope of assessment
(see 4.3) relevance and significance (see 4.5) and methods for data representation (see 4.9).
4.3 Scope of assessment
The scope of assessment describing the bioenergy process(es) and products, resources and business
units to be included, shall be documented. Processes under direct control include activities conducted
by or subcontracted by the economic operator (see 3.12). Any exclusion of a process or part of a process
under the direct control of the economic operator (e.g. raw material selection, processing or waste
disposal) shall be documented and justified.
The economic operator should consider the ability to facilitate comparability (see 4.11).
4.4 Stakeholder involvement
Stakeholders can have concerns related to the economic operator’s activities.
Where required in this International Standard, the economic operator shall document how stakeholders
were engaged.
NOTE “Engaged” means both that stakeholders were informed and provided opportunity to comment and
that the economic operator provided a documented response to legitimate grievance presented by stakeholders.
The economic operator:
— shall identify stakeholders that are relevant to achieving the outcomes of this International Standard;
— should identify relevant concerns (e.g. requirements) of these stakeholders;
— should identify which of these concerns will be dealt with by legal requirements.
4.5 Relevance and significance
The economic operator shall provide the information required by every indicator of this International
Standard for all relevant and significant sustainability aspects within the scope of the assessment. The
economic operator may exclude aspects that it documents and justifies as not being relevant or significant.
A sustainability aspect is relevant if it is part of or affected by the process within the scope of the
assessment and has a clear relationship to the purpose and context (see 4.2).
Significance may be determined by a risk assessment or other procedures (e.g. buyer requirements,
regulatory requirements, concern of stakeholders, scale of operation).
Figure 1 provides a decision tree on how to categorize relevance and significance for each aspect.
Figure 1 — Decision tree for categorizing relevance and significance for each indicator
4.6 Recording of legal requirements
The economic operator shall identify legal requirements related to the relevant sustainability
aspects described in Clause 5, and shall document how these are addressed within the responses to
the indicators of this International Standard. An economic operator may also document instances
where laws applicable to the economic operator establish different requirements compared to the
sustainability aspects of this International Standard.
10 © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

4.7 Time periods
The assessment of sustainability aspects shall cover the relevant time period in the life cycle.
Sustainability aspects can have different time periods. The time period selected for each sustainability
aspect shall be documented and justified.
In case of production of primary raw materials, the crop rotation period could vary from a few months
in paddy crops to more than 100 years in long-rotation forestry, for example. Time periods for handling
of secondary raw materials can vary greatly depending on time needed for transport, storage and
processing/refinement.
The choice of time periods for which data are collected shall consider the potential intra- and inter-
annual variations and, if relevant, use values representing the trend over the selected periods.
The time period for which data and information are collected shall be documented and justified.
4.8 Science-based approach
When making assumptions or selecting data or methodologies to be used in reporting under this
International Standard, preference shall be given to scientific approaches or traditional practices based
on natural, social or economic sciences.
Science is the pursuit of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a
systematic methodology based on evidence. Scientific methodology typically involves the following:
— objective observation: measurement and data (possibly although not necessarily using
mathematics as a tool);
— evidence;
— experiment, models and/or observation as benchmarks for testing hypotheses;
— induction: reasoning to establish general rules or conclusions drawn from facts or examples;
— repetition;
— critical analysis; and
— verification and testing: critical exposure to scrutiny, peer review and assessment.
4.9 Data and information
The data, information sources and assumptions used shall be documented and justified. The economic
operator shall provide information on direct effects of its process(es).
NOTE Providing information does not imply that the economic operator is required to publicly provide its
proprietary information, being information that is not public knowledge (such as certain financial data, test
results or trade secrets) and that is viewed as the property of the holder. The recipient of proprietary data, such
as a contractor in the procurement process, is generally duty bound to refrain from making unauthorized use of
the information.
Primary data should be collected for all individual processes under the direct control of the economic
operator an
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