13 June 2022

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 EU Registration as System Administrator in Poland

We would like to share with you that ISCC EU has been registered again as a system administrator in Poland since 31 May 2022. You may find our system listed as part of the registry governed by the Krajowy Ośrodek Wsparcia Rolnictwa (KOWR) here.

2. Updated ISCC Documents

2.1. Updated ISCC EU and PLUS Audit Procedures and Update of APS

The ISCC EU and PLUS audit procedures have been updated. The updated versions (v5.0) are a review in the framework of the recognition of ISCC EU under the RED II and reflect the current status of the ISCC EU System Documents. The ISCC PLUS requirements have also been reviewed and aligned with the requirements of the current ISCC PLUS System Document. Questions and requirements that were added to the procedures are marked. Minor amendments, such as change of order of the requirements, adjustments of phrasing and spelling mistakes are not marked.

These changes include the incorporation of the new requirements from the RED II, which means that ISCC EU RED II Gap Audit Procedures will no longer be required for ISCC EU audits conducted using the new version of APS. In addition to this, some improvements to the user experience have been made based on feedback from auditors.

We are pleased to announce that the latest version of APS will be released later this week. We will send an email to the contact persons of all certification bodies once the new version is available for certification bodies and auditors to download from the ISCC website (log-in required). Among other changes, this update includes the incorporation of the new requirements from the RED II, which means that Gap audit procedures will no longer be required for audits conducted using the new version of APS. A summary of the most important changes and bug fixes that have been made since the last version is also available on our website.

Auditors must begin using the updated version of APS for audits conducted from 15 July 2022 onwards, but it is already available for download and use on a voluntary basis.

System Users can use the audit procedures to conduct their internal audits and assessments, for internal trainings or to prepare for an audit. The application of the audit procedures for such purposes is voluntary but recommended.

Please click here to find the updated ISCC audit procedures as pdf files. For certification bodies and auditors only the word files are available in the CB section of the ISCC website (login required).

2.2 ISCC Principles 2 – 6 for Agricultural Biomass: Updated Document and Date of Implementation

ISCC has updated the system document ISCC EU 202-2 – Agricultural Biomass: ISCC Principles 2-6. The updated version 1.1 will be implemented as of 1 September 2022. The adjustments of the document 202-2 v.1.1 follow the public consultation conducted by ISCC and replace the previous version 1.0. An overview of the adjustments is available at the beginning of the document. Until the implementation date of 1 September, the ISCC EU System Document 202 “Sustainability Requirements” (v.3.1) has to be applied for the verification of the ISCC Principles 2-6 for agricultural biomass.

2.3 POME Guidance

ISCC has updated the guidance document for the certification of waste and residues from palm oil mills. Following a second public consultation process, the revised document is now published in the final version 3.0. Besides an updated layout and improved language, the final version of the document now covers recovered oil from three different waste streams of the palm oil mill:

Palm oil mill effluent (POME)
Empty palm fruit bunches (EFBs)
Pressed palm (mesocarp) fibers (PPF)

The guidance in the document shall be taken into account for all audits of palm oil mills generating and supplying these materials as sustainable under ISCC. It shall also be considered for all audits of collecting points collecting these materials as sustainable under ISCC.

The guidance document also includes the mandatory requirement for all palm oil mills generating and supplying waste and residues as sustainable under ISCC to be audited on-site annually. This means, the group auditing approach for points of origin as described in ISCC Document 203 Traceability and Chain of Custody (i.e., auditing only a sample of the points of origin) cannot be applied for palm oil mills anymore. This adjustment to the process shall become mandatory for all certification audits that are conducted as of 1 November 2022.

Please also find further information about the development of the guidance and the stakeholder process in this presentation from the last ISCC Regional Stakeholder Meeting South East Asia.

2.4 Guidance Document for the Audit of Wastewater from Ship Transport

Following up on the public consultation phase, the G uidance document for the audit of wastewater from ship transport is now published in the final version 1.0. It addresses the ISCC certification of biogenic wastewater from ship transport that is to be discharged to a reception facility based on the prewash requirements laid out in the MARPOL 73/78 Annex II as well as inland barges that fall under EU waste legislation (Waste Framework Directive (WFD)).

The guidance in the document shall be taken into account for all audits of Port Reception Facilities / Wash Water Collectors (Point of Origin) and Wastewater Treatment Plants (Collecting Point) dealing with this material.

This guidance document was developed with the active support of various market participants. ISCC would like to thank all parties involved for providing their valuable market insights.

3. ISCC materials

3.1 How to Submit Material Requests

The certification body is responsible to discuss with the system user, how their materials are covered on the ISCC material lists. If a material is not yet covered, the certification body can request the material to be added via the ISCC webform providing the following information:

Name of material
Relevant certification system
Categorization as raw material or intermediate/ final product
If applicable, justification for classification as waste/residue e.g. waste code (e.g. based on national waste legislation or European List of Waste, Directive 2008/98/EC) or justification based on the waste decision tree, which is provided in the material lists
If available, the CAS number
Detailed production process chart including all inputs/ outputs and material flows involved

3.2 ISCC EU Material List

The following raw materials were added or adjusted in table one:

Grass fiber residues from the production of grass protein
Wastewater from ship transport, additional information: Operators that are not subject to MARPOL and/or WFD shall provide evidence to ISCC that verification mechanisms as described in this guidance are in place. Certification shall only be possible upon explicit approval by ISCC.

The following intermediates and final products were added in table two:

Renewable di-methyl ether (rDME)
Sugar
Syrup

3.2 ISCC PLUS Material List