The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP), an international certification scheme designed for woody biomass used in industrial, large-scale energy production, has announced the publication of two Interim Regional Risk Assessments (RRAs), covering forests in the provinces of British Columbia (BC) and Alberta (AB) in Canada.
These Interim Regional Risk Assessments (RRAs), developed per the RRA Procedure v2.0, will support Certificate Holders in implementing risk mitigation measures and enable Certification Bodies to certify them until SBP-endorsed RRAs for these regions are available.
The publication of these Interim RRAs is a direct outcome of SBP’s Standards Development Process, launched in May 2020, which led to the revision of SBP Standards 1 and 2.
This revision necessitated a review of all existing SBP-endorsed RRAs and initiated the development of new ones.
Stakeholder engagement is a critical component
The process of preparing the Interim RRAs started with the development of a draft RRA prepared by the responsible Working Body comprising local qualified experts, followed by rigorous technical and quality reviews by SBP, independent local expert reviews, and public consultations conducted by SBP itself, ensuring a transparent and inclusive approach.
Stakeholder engagement has been a critical component of the RRA development process.
All comments received during the public consultations, along with those provided by local experts mandated by SBP, have been reviewed and taken into account by the SBP Secretariat.
According to SBP, this comprehensive process ensures that the published interim RRAs provide a robust foundation for assessing and mitigating risks within the specified regions.
Once an SBP-endorsed RRA is available for a region, Certificate Holders using the Interim RRA must assess any changes in risk ratings.
Should a final SBP-endorsed RRA indicate a shift from low risk to specified risk, Certificate Holders will be required to update their Supply Base Evaluation accordingly.
A six-month transition period will be granted for Certificate Holders to implement the SBP-endorsed RRA, with compliance verified during the Certification Body’s next surveillance audit.
In parallel, the Interim RRAs are being shared with the SBP Technical Committee for final review and recommendations for endorsement.
This step ensures that all risk assessments adhere to SBP’s rigorous standards and contribute effectively to sustainable biomass sourcing practices.
