Content:

1. ISCC Webinar – System Updates Summary Q4 2024 ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

2. ISCC EU ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

3. Clarification on Auditing Dropped Scopes

The System Update is mandatory for all ISCC System Users,
ISCC Auditors and cooperating Certification Bodies.

1. ISCC Webinar – System Updates Summary Q4 2024 

Date: 15 January 2025, 02:00 – 03:00 pm CET 

As an additional service for our System Users, ISCC Auditors and other stakeholders, we established a webinar series that is designed to provide an overview of all recent changes. Participants will have the opportunity to ask specific questions about the presented system updates.  
 
Please note that all ISCC System Users, ISCC Auditors and Cooperating Certification Bodies are still required to read the system updates and implement new requirements promptly as some changes and updates are effective immediately or within a narrow timeframe.  

2. ISCC EU 

2.1 List of Material Eligible for ISCC EU Certification (“ISCC EU Material List”)  

The ISCC EU material list has been updated. The newly added and revised materials are marked in bold. 

2.2 German Environment Agency Pre-Recognises ISCC EU for RFNBO Production  Forest Biomass: ISCC Principle 1 now Applicable to ISCC PLUS 

We are pleased to announce that the German Environment Agency (UBA) has pre-recognised RFNBO (Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin) certification schemes such as ISCC EU, which have a positive technical assessment by the European Commission (EC). With this pre-recognition, it is now possible to certify RFNBOs for the German market under ISCC.
 
As a next step for Certification Bodies, UBA will examine the possibility for provisional recognition as part of individual case reviews. This means that Certification Bodies wishing to certify RFNBOs supplied for the German market must submit an application to UBA. This requirement applies to RFNBOs produced in Germany and all other countries. Certification Bodies have been informed about the process by ISCC. We recommend Certification Bodies to apply as soon as possible to be able to start ISCC RFNBO certification.
 
Germany is the second EU country after Denmark to have ISCC pre-recognised. Information on the pre-recognition by the Danish Energy Agency can be found here on our website.
 
If you are a System User and interested in RFNBO certification for the German or Danish market, please reach out to us via rfnbo@iscc-system.org.

2.3 New ISCC Proof of Compliance (PoC) Framework and Documentation  

Please note: The ISCC Proof of Compliance (PoC) framework is particularly relevant for aviation and maritime markets. 

Generally, fuel suppliers provide a Proof of Sustainability (‘PoS’) document to authorities for a given batch of fuel to validate compliance with sustainability and GHG emissions savings criteria. However, PoS documents are not allowed to be ‘re-issued’ to, or ‘re-used’ by, further downstream entities in a supply chain after they have been previously submitted against claims. This can present a challenge, especially in aviation and maritime markets, where some regulations may allow for subsequent claims to be made by downstream users (e.g., airlines). 

To close this gap, the ISCC Proof of Compliance (PoC) introduces a standardised framework to facilitate the forwarding of PoS information according to the ISCC EU System Document 203 “Traceability and Chain-of-Custody”. This framework addresses challenges related to the unavailability of Proof of Sustainability (PoS) documents for downstream operators, and ensures that they have access to the required evidence for sustainability and GHG emissions savings compliance. Developed in alignment with regulatory requirements and built upon existing ISCC systems, the PoC framework supplements the ISCC EU scheme, providing robust, transparent solutions to support System Users and promote compliance across the market. 

For a better overview, please find below an example for PoS Submission and PoC issuance: 

The following documents are now available on the ISCC website: 

• Guidance Document “ISCC Proof of Compliance” 

• PoC Template, under the section “ISCC EU” 

• PoC Audit Procedures, under the section “ISCC EU and PLUS combined” 

3. Clarification on Auditing Dropped Scopes 

This update clarifies the audit requirements for scopes that have been dropped during the recertification process and will not be certified for the next certification period (see System Update 18 December 2023).  
 
Audits are Retrospective 

ISCC recertification audits are retrospective. If a scope is not recertified and is therefore considered dropped for the upcoming certification period, it must still be audited to confirm that the System User met all scope-specific ISCC requirements during the previous certification period. Consequently, the dropped scope(s) must be audited in APS in the same manner as the recertified scope(s) that will appear on the new certificate. (see ISCC EU 201 – System Basics, chapter 4.2.1). 

If minor, major or critical non-conformities are found with a System User, for example during an audit, the CB shall impose specific measures and sanctions as described in ISCC EU System Document 102 – “Governance”, chapter 10.2.1. 

Sample Auditing for Dropped Scopes 

If sample auditing is applicable to a dropped scope, it must still be conducted. For example: 

• If a System User was certified as both a Processing Unit and a Collecting Point in the previous certification period but will only be recertified as a Processing Unit in the next period, both scopes must still be audited retrospectively. 

• In this example, the dropped Collecting Point scope requires auditing of a sample of Points of Origin that supplied, on average, more than 5 metric tons per month (or more than 60 metric tons per year) of a specific waste or residue. 

• The sample size must be calculated based on the up-to-date list of Points of Origin with signed self-declarations, as verified during the recertification audit. 
   

Submission of Documents for Dropped Scopes 

Herewith, we want to explain the documentation submission in the ISCC HUB for dropped scopes. The List of Sourcing Contacts does not need to be submitted in the ISCC HUB as part of the recertification package for dropped scopes. In the given example, if the System User’s new certificate covers only the Processing Unit scope and no longer includes the Collecting Point scope, the List of Sourcing Contacts for the dropped Collecting Point scope is not required.  

System Users are responsible for keeping their List of Sourcing Contact information (Farms/Plantations, Points of Origin, Forest Sourcing Areas) up to date in the ISCC HUB. The List of Sites covered by a Certificate are external storage facilities or dependent Collecting Points for which a mass balance is required. They must be updated by the Certification Body during the validity period of a certificate, to check if any further steps need to be taken (e.g. Extension Audit) before adding a site to the certificate.