RSB Principles & Criteria
The 12 Principles & Criteria are the core of our globally recognised sustainability framework – describing the best of social, legal, environmental and management practice for sustainable production in the biocircular economy.
Each principle is supported by criteria, requirements and indicators. The criteria list the necessary conditions to meet each principle, and who must comply with them. Requirements and indicators give details to support users with their implementation.
Principles in practice
The RSB Principles & Criteria describe how to responsibly produce biomass, fuel and material products from bio-based and recycled carbon, as well as renewable energy.
The RSB Principles & Criteria are based on a management and risk-oriented approach. Together with the RSB’s online tools and related guidance documents, they help operators to identify and manage sustainability issues in specific contexts, thereby reducing risks for operators, brand owners and investors.
Certification
RSB certification enables ambitious producers of fuel, biomass and material products from bio-based and recycled carbon – including fossil waste – to demonstrate their compliance with RSB’s globally recognised Principles & Criteria, when they become RSB-certified.
Because the RSB Principles & Criteria are recognised by regulators around the world, as well as global brands, RSB certification can unlock access to regulated markets (including the EU), and can incentivise growing demand from discerning brands and responsible consumers.
Programmes
RSB works with partners at a regional and global level to provide technical and strategic advice, hands-on implementation, staff training and research services, and manage landscape-level projects that support the implementation of the RSB Principles & Criteria
By developing projects and providing advisory services that encourage the development of a holistic sustainability approach in supply chains and policy development, RSB contributes to the development of a biocircular economy foundation rooted in best practice.
Advisory services
RSB’s advisory services programme, which provides clients with tailored solutions to help them navigate sustainability complexities and build positive impacts to support a growing bio-based and circular economy, is delivered on the bedrock of RSB’s Principles and Criteria.
Complemented by our suite of supporting documents and tools, this ensures that our advice is always based on an ambitiously robust normative framework that has been developed by the full range of RSB member and expert specialists.
Multi-stakeholder standard setting
RSB’s governance structure is designed to ensure a balanced decision-making process in the vital work of standard-setting.
The ultimate authority for approving the development and revisions of RSB’s standards is the Assembly of Delegates. However, RSB procedures are approved by the Board of Directors and RSB guidance documents are approved by the RSB Executive Director. The Secretariat handles minor modifications and oversees the development and revision process – including consultation, field testing and preparation of draft documents, in consultation with relevant working groups.
