Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

We herewith inform you about updates and clarifications in the ISCC System. Please share this information with all relevant members of staff.

1. ISCC Documents

1.1. New Self-Declaration for Liquid Waste and Residue Materials from Palm Oil Mills

ISCC has developed a dedicated self-declaration for liquid waste and residues from palm oil mills (POME oil, EFB oil, and PPF oil). The new self-declaration is available in the client section on the ISCC website (login required) and must be applied by all Collecting Points that collect the respective material from non-certified points of origin (palm oil mills) from 01 April 2023. Current valid contractual agreements between Collecting Points and their points of origin based on old self-declarations should be updated within the next three months. The application of the updated version of the self-declaration shall be checked by Certification Bodies during the next (re)certification audits of affected System Users. Please also see the ISCC Guidance Document for the Audit of Waste and Residues from Palm Oil Mills on the ISCC website.

1.2. ISCC EU Self-Declaration Waste and Residues

The ISCC self-declaration template on waste and residues for biofuel production on the sustainability of biomass in line with Directive (EU) 2018/2001 (RED II) is now also available in Turkish. The template is available in the client section of the ISCC website (login required).

1.3. Revised ISCC PLUS System Document now Available

ISCC has published the ISCC PLUS System Document V3.4. The revised version includes updates on the topics such as consideration of additives, naming of renewable feedstock category, use of LCA based on ISO standards and elaborated requirements of pre-consumer scrap.

In addition, new chapters and sub-chapters have been added: “Requirements for CO2Certifications”, “Potential Ocean-bound Plastic”, “Dependent Storage Facilities in the Framework of the Certification of a Third Party”, “Consideration of Hetero Atoms”, “Forest Biomass under ISCC PLUS” and “Group Certification Approach for Final Product Refinement activities”.

ISCC PLUS System Users will be given a one year transition period to gather evidence and documents to demonstrate compliance with the updated requirements. During this period ISCC PLUS Document V3.3 will still be valid. However, system users can already start implementing the ISCC PLUS V3.4 from their next mass balance period.

The update of the ISCC EU and PLUS Audit Procedures and APS for the ISCC PLUS V3.4 will be implemented in 01.09.2023. As from this day on until 06.03.2024, System Users can be audited according to either V3.3 or V3.4. After the transition period, only V3.4 will be valid.

The ISCC PLUS System Document V3.4. can be found on the ISCC website.

1.4. ISCC 202-4 Forest Biomass Principle 2-6 Published for ISCC PLUS

ISCC 202-4 Forest Biomass Principle 2-6, its audit procedure and its self-declaration are now published. These Principles can be already used under ISCC PLUS to demonstrate sustainable forest management.

As of now, ISCC EU 202-3 Forest Biomass Principle 1 will not be subject to ISCC PLUS requirements as it is being reviewed by the European Commission.

The ISCC EU 202-4 Forest Biomass Principle 2-6 and the audit procedure can be found on the ISCC website and the self-declaration can be found in the client section of the ISCC website (login required).

1.5. ISCC PLUS Certificate Template Update: Indication of Post-Consumer or Post-Industrial Origin is now Possible

In the PLUS certificate, it is now possible to indicate whether a recyclate came from a post-consumer (PCR) or post-industrial source (PIR). Therefore, three new options to the column “ISCC waste process applied” in the annex are added. With this update, the three new options are: Yes (PCR), Yes (PIR) or Yes (PCR and PIR). ISCC also added additional explanation to the “ISCC waste process applied” column: “The voluntary information about PIR (post-industrial recycling) or PCR (post-consumer recycling material can be stated in brackets.”

The new version of the ISCC PLUS certificate template can be found in the CB section of the ISCC website (login required) and can be used from now on. From the 1st of June 2023 it is obligatory to use the new version of the PLUS certificate template.

2. Clarification on Approach on the Compliance of Group Members with ISCC Requirements

ISCC requirements on Group Certification as defined in ISCC EU System Document 203 „Traceability and Chain of Custody” include that the rights and duties of the group members shall be documented and defined in a regulating contract or agreement between the group members and the head office of the group. This contract or agreement must be effective and binding and shall include that the group members must be compliant with the ISCC requirements for farms/plantations, points of origin for waste and processing residues, and storage or logistic facilities, as defined in the ISCC System Documents.

Further, group members that are audited as not complying with ISCC requirements must be excluded from the group and reported to ISCC by the certification body. ISCC documents these cases of non-compliance and may publish information on non-compliant group members on the ISCC website. Thereby, other System Users can become aware of non-compliant activities and can avoid including non-compliant members in their group.

3. Public Consultation: ISCC PLUS Add-on “Low ILUC-risk feedstock certification”

ISCC has developed an approach for the certification of low Indirect Land Use Change-risk (low ILUC-risk) feedstocks under ISCC PLUS. The certification approach was developed as part of the BIKE project on safe and reliable biomass value chains for sustainable biofuels and the bioeconomy for which ISCC cooperates with 12 partners from eight European countries. The project is funded by the EU under the Horizon 2020 programme.

The certification approach is an add-on which can be implemented by ISCC PLUS certified Farms/ Plantations and First Gathering Points producing feedstocks with a low risk for indirect land use change. The ISCC PLUS system document is now available for public consultation on the ISCC website until 16 April 2023. We highly appreciate your feedback!

4. New ISCC RFNBOs Training

As of 13 February 2023, the European Commission (EC) adopted new rules on how to define hydrogen and its derivatives as renewables. The adopted delegated acts (DAs) supplement the Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) by establishing a methodology, setting out detailed rules to produce RFNBOs. ISCC is seeking the recognition of the ISCC EU certification approach for RFNBOs as soon as possible.

In this context, and in continuation with our efforts to instruct key stakeholders, such as auditors, certification bodies and companies, we are pleased to announce the first ISCC training on RFNBOs on 11 May 2023. The training will be held online and mainly focus on:

• general and specific legislative framework (REDII and DAs),
• rules to source renewable electricity and produce RFNBOs,
• rules and guidance to calculate GHG emissions for RFNBOs, and
• certification approach and system for RFNBOs within ISCC EU.

Additionally, group work will complement the course with the aim of practicing on real cases. Find more information and the registration form on the ISCC website.

5. Union Database: FAQs on the ISCC Website

ISCC has published answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Union Database (UDB). Together with answers to questions from other areas, they can be found on the FAQ page of the ISCC website. The FAQs are updated regularly.