25 February 2025
The 15th ISCC Global Sustainability Conference has ended, and we are thrilled to share that it was a huge success. Over 250 onsite attendees, and around 700 online participants from over 50 countries joined us to be inspired and informed by more than 40 speakers and panellists.
Honouring Visionary Leadership
Rob Vierhout, Chairman of the Board of the ISCC Association, opened the conference with a welcome address that underlined the importance of sustainability certification in today’s world.
Sustainability certification provides credibility, drives innovation, helps businesses meet regulatory and market demands, and has the power to ignite systematic change.
He also paid tribute to the profound impact of our former ISCC Chairman, Professor Gernot Klepper, PhD, who passed away in October 2024. His visionary thinking and deep commitment to sustainable development played a pivotal role in shaping ISCC. To honour his legacy, Rob announced that the ISCC Association decided to introduce the ISCC Gernot Klepper Research Award. The yearly stipend of 50,000 EUR will be awarded to a researcher to support an academic publication or an impactful white paper that relates to one of ISCC’s core topics. We hope to share the first results of this award at next year’s conference.
Key Developments and Policy Updates
Rob’s opening speech was followed by several keynote presentations. We learned that ISCC experienced a total growth of 28% since last years’ conference, with ISCC PLUS increasing by 43% and all licenses by 70%.
A major milestone of 2024 was the European Commission’s recognition of ISCC EU for the certification of renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs) and recycled carbon fuels (RCFs). Looking ahead, ISCC EU will undergo the RED III recognition process in 2025, with a RED III update expected in the first half of 2025.
Certification plays a crucial role in meeting EU sustainability reporting requirements. ISCC certification aligns with the majority of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) topics under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This means that companies can use ISCC certification to meet the quantitative and qualitative requirements of the reporting obligation within ESRS.
A new EU regulation on carbon removals and carbon farming (CRCF) is on the horizon. Recognised voluntary certification schemes will be instrumental in introducing and managing new schemes to certify economic operators that carry out the CRCF. The final adoption of the Implementing Act on third-party certification is expected by late 2025, with the first CRCF projects presumably being certified in 2026.
Additionally, the Clean Energy Ministerial advocates for a binding sustainable fuels target at COP 30 with a clear emission reduction ambition in numbers and within a defined timeframe.
Stream 1 – ISCC EU
The ISCC EU stream focused primarily on policy updates, the implementation of new certification approaches, and recent developments within ISCC.
A key topic was the new renewable energy target under the RED III. This target includes achieving at least 42.5% renewable energy by 2030 and a 14.5% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity for transport fuels. Additionally, there is a combined sub-target of 5.5% for advanced biofuels and a minimum requirement of 1% for RFNBOs.
We support this development through our recognised certification approach for RFNBOs and RCFs and provide extensive support through our guidance documents, specialised auditor training courses, and a stakeholder meeting. Furthermore, we are involved in first RFNBO and RCF certifications and pilot projects worldwide, helping to improve certification processes.
The ISCC certification system is based on three pillars: system requirements, risk management and audit quality, combined with an integrated end-to-end IT solution that enables a seamless transfer of certification data from the ISCC HUB to the Union Database (UDB).
Integrated end-to-end IT solutions are necessary to seamlessly link systems and processes to increase efficiency and fraud resistance.
We are continuously strengthening our certification systems and integrity, e.g. by introducing a whistleblower reporting tool that we launched in 2024 or implementing the 4-eyes principle for mass balance audits under ISCC EU certification.
Stream 2 – ISCC PLUS
The ISCC PLUS stream focused on global policy developments, as well as success stories from System Users, and offered an outlook for the exciting future of ISCC PLUS certification.
ISCC PLUS has grown significantly, reaching 5,500 certificates across more than 80 countries. This expansion reflects ISCC PLUS’s truly global reach, and we are committed to further strengthening our presence. In line with this, we recently hosted a stakeholder meeting and ISCC PLUS training course in Japan and Korea.
Additionally, the ISCC Licensing Scheme has facilitated the market entry of over 60,000 ISCC PLUS certified products, reinforcing our certification system’s credibility and widespread adoption. This is supported by the collaboration with the Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly Program where ISCC PLUS has been recognised for 14 countries by now.
ISCC PLUS and the ISCC Licensing approach support companies to fulfill and to communicate their sustainability commitments, and to prepare for upcoming regulations.
As legislative landscapes continue to evolve worldwide, we remain proactive in monitoring regulatory developments and strategically positioning ISCC PLUS as the preferred standard for both voluntary and regulated markets. Some of the key measures we are closely tracking include the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD), which sets a target of 30% recycled content in all plastic bottles by 2030, the UK and Spanish Plastic Tax, or the Korean and Japanese policy for plastic recycling and bioplastics.
The first Implementing Decision of the SUPD, launched in November 2024, included mechanically recycled PET. The next step is an amendment of the directive, including controlled blending and third-party certified mass balance accounting. Notably, the mass balance approach will exclude fuels and not allow a free allocation approach. We are prepared to offer ISCC PLUS certification solutions under SUPD.
Stream 3 – ISCC for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and Sustainable Marine Fuels (SMF)
The SAF/SMF stream explored the evolving regulatory landscape, the role of ISCC certification in ensuring compliance, and key developments shaping the future of sustainable fuels.
We looked at how the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set ambitious targets to decarbonise maritime transport. To achieve the IMO’s long-term goal of reducing emissions to 193 million tonnes by 2050, mid-term milestones have been introduced for 2030 and 2040. The proposed measures include an energy standard and GHG pricing, both of which could be turning points for the industry. Additionally, stringent regulations in global markets are expected to drive demand for SMF, with projections indicating a 13%-14% share of the fuel mix by 2030.
Staying on the topic of sustainable maritime transport, the pathway to zero emissions was another key focus area, with discussions on the potential of liquid natural gas (LNG), bio-LNG and e-LNG. There are 1,058 LNG-fuelled ships worldwide, and demand is projected to grow significantly in the coming years, reinforcing the need for sustainable alternatives.
ISCC continues to play a crucial role in powering the sustainability of SAF and SMF through certification. As a key tool for compliance in international regulatory frameworks and voluntary initiatives, ISCC certification aligns with regulatory SAF mandates such as those in Japan and the UK, and voluntary frameworks like the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
2024 marks a momentum year for ISCC CORSIA certification, with the number of certificates increasing steeply from 95 to 405. Furthermore, the ISCC Credit Transfer System officially went live in April 2024. Through integration with the ISCC Registry, a secure online database, the transfer of sustainability claims for SAF throughout the downstream value chain becomes possible.
Another Year, Another Celebration: Thank You from All of Us at ISCC!
Once the three streams concluded, we came back together to report on results and heard some closing words from Rob. Then, to mark the end of another successful ISCC Global Sustainability Conference, our in-person attendees were invited to gather for a piece of 15th anniversary cake.
We wish to thank everyone who participated in this year’s event.
Another huge thank you goes to our wonderful speakers and panellists for sharing their knowledge and expertise with us and to everyone who helped to organise this event.
Want to know more about what we discussed at this year’s Global Sustainability Conference? Take a closer look at the presentations!
