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 Updated ISCC EU and PLUS Audit Procedures and Update of APS

As announced in the previous ISCC System Update (11 October 2022) ISCC has been working on an update of the Audit Procedure System (APS) to reflect the updates in the ISCC EU and PLUS audit procedures. The updated version of APS (v.4.4.0) will be available for certification bodies to download on the ISCC website soon.

Together with the updated APS we have also provided slightly adjusted ISCC EU and PLUS audit procedures. The few changes made in the updated version are mostly small adjustments referring to the updated fee structure, the implementation of the ARIA platform and questions to more clearly cover the certification of energy producers (i.e. installations that generate electricity, heating or cooling from biomass fuels or bioliquids). The main additions and adjustments are marked as such. Please note that the updated questions relating to the quantity-dependent fees will apply at the recertification audit for certificates issued as a result of audits conducted on or after 01.09.2022 (i.e. not until Q3 2023).

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.

Note for auditors:
Auditors must begin using the updated version of APS for audits conducted from 1st December 2022 onwards, but can be used on a voluntary basis before then.

Audits from previous versions of APS will be locked in APS v4.4.0 due to the significant changes in the structure and order of the questions. Any audits that have been started in APS v4.3.0 should be completed in APS v.4.3.0.

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).

1.2 ISCC EU and PLUS Self-declaration for Collection Croton

ISCC has developed a new self-declaration template for the collection of wild-growing croton under ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS. The template is available in the client section of the ISCC website (login required).

1.3  ISCC PLUS Self-declaration for CO2

ISCC has developed a new self-declaration template for Points of Origin providing CO2 under ISCC PLUS. The template is available in the client section of the ISCC website (login required).

2. Clarifications 

2.1 Biogas / Biomethane 

Any trade of sustainable material under ISCC refers to a specific batch of sustainable material. For a delivery of sustainable material, a Sustainability Declaration or a Proof of Sustainability (PoS) shall be issued to the recipient which is  linked to a specific amount of physical sustainable material. The issuance and trading of sustainability declarations or PoS without the link to an equivalent amount of physical sustainable material is considered as book-and-claim and thus not allowed under ISCC.

This means that in case of biomethane that is traded via the gas grid, the producer feeding the biomethane into the grid issues a sustainability declaration/ PoS to the recipient. If the recipient is a (paper) trader, i.e. not receiving the material physically, this trader can sell the respective batch of ISCC certified material and forward the respective PoS to the recipient, e.g. to the party taking the biomethane (physically) out of the grid. The grid in this case is considered as transport, and the transport of biomethane via shippers must be documented. It is not permitted for a (paper) trader to buy or sell a sustainability declaration for biomethane without the link to the respective amount of physical sustainable material. Please see ISCC EU Document 203 “Traceability and Chain of Custody” for further information.

2.2 Surveillance Audits – Place of the Audit

With the update of the ISCC EU system documents to version 4.0 the requirements regarding mandatory surveillance audits for initially ISCC EU certified system users have been updated to incorporate the information shared in former system updates.

It is herewith clarified that if not otherwise communicated in the system documents or system updates, generally on-site audits are to be conducted.

The surveillance audit three months after the first certification may be conducted remotely if a risk assessment for the individual system user by the certification body has demonstrated a regular risk. For the surveillance audit after six months, no such option is indicated and accordingly these audits have to be conducted on-site.

3. Nabisy: New Biomass Application Forms

The Germany Nabisy database has provided new application forms that can be used to apply for the complementation or addition of a biomass type in the Nabisy biomass code list.

Completed forms have to be sent back to ISCC from which they will be forwarded to Nabisy after an internal check. If Nabisy has assessed the application positively the biomass code list will be adapted accordingly. Please note that applications that are directly send directly from the system user to Nabisy will not be accepted.

You can download the new biomass applications forms from the ISCC website.
Please note that the BLE will also provide applications forms to complement or add biofuels to the biomass code list soon. They will be made available on the ISCC website as well.