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
• Completion Date: 21-Sep-2021

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 13065:2015(E)
©
ISO 2015

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ISO 13065:2015(E)

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© ISO 2015, Published in Switzerland
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ISO 13065:2015(E)

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
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ISO 13065:2015(E)

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
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ISO 13065:2015(E)

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.
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ISO 13065:2015(E)

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.
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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).
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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
2
CO e
2
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.
2
[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.
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ISO 13065:2015(E)

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) ]
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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.]
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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 h
...