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RSB Document Library

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RSB’s library is a repository of all documents relating to membership, certification, our sustainability framework, standards and procedures, and other general RSB publications. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please contact us at [email protected].

RSB takes a digital-first approach to our publications. However, paper-copy versions are available upon request, covering reasonable administrative costs. To request this, please contact us at [email protected].

To learn more, read the RSB Standards & Certification Overview, or explore the online courses on RSB Academy’s e-learning platform.

20-001 RSB Procedure for Traceability (Chain of Custody)

  • Reference code: RSB-PRO-20-001
  • Version: 3.2
  • Date: May 2020
RSB’s Procedure for Traceability aims to ensure that Participating Operators put in place a robust and transparent chain of custody system that provides traceability for the RSB Certified Material acquired from and/or delivered to other operators in the supply chain.
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GUI-01-002-01 RSB Impact Assessment Guidelines

  • Reference code: RSB-GUI-01-002-01
  • Version: 3
  • Date: August 2017
Principle 2 (and its criteria and minimum requirements) of the RSB Principles & Criteria requires participating operators (POs) to complete a process called the RSB Impact Assessment. This document describes the process that should be followed, to give direction and guidance to POs and auditors. In many instances the PO may already have completed a government-regulated process, and the RSB standard requires that this process is streamlined and integrated with the RSB Impact Assessment.
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GUI-01-005-02 Rural and Social Development Guidelines

  • Reference code: RSB-GUI-01-005-02
  • Version: 3
  • Date: January 2018
RSB’s Rural and Social Development Guidelines provide guidance on how to improve the socio-economic conditions of a given area. However, it is important to note that each context is different, and each case has specific challenges and opportunities for which local stakeholder input is essential. For this reason, the RSB encourages operators to work with affected communities and vulnerable households to find the best ways to improve their lives.
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GUI-01-006-01 Food Security Assessment Guidelines

  • Reference code: RSB-GUI-01-006-01
  • Version: 3
  • Date: January 2018
RSB’s Food Security Assessment Guidelines provide guidance on measuring food security and conducting a food security impact assessment (FSIA). The FSIA should provide information on the status of, and the impact of the operation on, food security in the locality. The assessment should also provide guidance to operators on the most relevant measures they can employ to mitigate any negative impacts and enhance the food security of directly affected stakeholders.
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GUI-01-007-01 Conservation Impact Assessment Guidelines

  • Reference code: RSB-GUI-01-007-01
  • Version: 3
  • Date: January 2018
RSB’s Conservation Impact Assessment Guidelines help operators to conduct a conservation impact assessment by evaluating potential impacts of operations on conservation values. They describe key aspects to be investigated during the planning of new projects or ongoing activities in order to identify the potential impact of operations on conservation values (including the use of invasive species) and suggest good practices to minimise such impacts.
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GUI-01-008-01 Soil Impact Assessment Guidelines

  • Reference code: RSB-GUI-01-008-01
  • Version: 3
  • Date: January 2018
RSB’s Soil Impact Assessment Guidelines help operators to conduct a soil impact assessment by evaluating potential impacts of operations on local soils. They describe key aspects to be investigated during the planning of new projects or ongoing activities, in order to identify potential impacts operations may cause to soil health and, if relevant, good practices to minimise such impacts to an acceptable level.
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GUI-01-008-02 RSB Certification Protocol and Guidance for Harvesting Corn Stover as a Feedstock for Biofuels or Bio-products

  • Reference code: RSB-GUI-01-008-02
  • Version: 1
  • Date: November 2017
RSB’s Certification Protocol and Guidance for Harvesting Corn Stover as a Feedstock for Biofuels or Bioproducts provides decision makers information regarding the practices and the metrics that should be followed by farmers and auditors to ensure that any removal of corn stover for cellulosic biofuel or bioproduct production is done in a way that complies with the RSB Principles & Criteria
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GUI-01-009-01 RSB Water Impact Assessment Guidelines

  • Reference code: RSB-GUI-01-009-01
  • Version: 3
  • Date: January 2018
RSB’s Water Impact Assessment Guidelines help operators to conduct a water impact assessment by evaluating potential impacts of operations on water resources. They describe key aspects to be investigated during planning of new projects or ongoing activities in order to identify potential impacts operations may have on water (including the use of invasive species) and good practices to minimise such impacts.
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GUI-01-012-01 Land Rights Guidelines

  • Reference code: RSB-GUI-01-012-01
  • Version: 3
  • Date: January 2018
RSB’s Land Rights Guidelines help operators identify existing rights to land (formal and informal) in the area of proposed operations, and to identify potential risks to the operation and impacts to rights-holders. They are also designed to help operators negotiate with rights-holders and users in line with their right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), both in land acquisition and for resolving disputes over land in both proposed and existing operations, in order to help operators avoid and resolve such disputes. The guidelines are intended to guide the operator to apply good practice, minimise risks, respect rights and avoid disputes in relation to land. These guidelines may also be used by the auditor to gain a better understanding of key aspects to be considered during certification process.
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PRO-30-001 RSB Procedure for Participating Operators

  • Reference code: RSB-PRO-30-001
  • Version: 3.4
  • Date: December 2023
The RSB Standard for Participating Operators sets out the conditions operators shall meet when taking part in RSB certification systems. Operators taking part in RSB certification systems are referred to as ‘Participating Operators’ (POs). POs have control over, and take full responsibility for, all operations, processes, activities and sites in connection with putting RSB standards in place at all times. This standard also describes the role of the RSB Secretariat.
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PRO-45-001 RSB Procedure for Risk Management (Internal)

  • Reference code: RSB-PRO-45-001
  • Version: 1.2
  • Date: December 2023
This procedure describes a risk management system based on the international standard ISO 31000 (Risk management – Principles and guidelines).
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PRO-50-001 RSB Procedure for Communication and Claims

  • Reference code: RSB-PRO-50-001
  • Version: 3.6
  • Date: July 2024
RSB’s Procedure on Communications and Claims sets out the requirements Participating Operators must meet when using the RSB trademarks (e.g. RSB name, RSB logo, RSB Strapline, RSB on-product label) and compliance claims in association with certified products (“product-related claims”), as well as in general communication.
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PRO-60-001 RSB Procedure for Risk Management

  • Reference code: RSB-PRO-60-001
  • Version: 3.4
  • Date: January 2026
RSB’s Procedure for Risk Management aims to make sure that Participating Operators identify, evaluate, mitigate and monitor the risk(s) related to their operations while putting in place RSB standards and procedures.
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RSB GHG Tools FAQs

  • Reference code: RSB-STD-13-002
  • Version: 1
  • Date: July 2025
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RSB Methodology for Displacement Effects (Voluntary Add-On)

  • Reference code: RSB-STD-04-002
  • Version: 1.1
  • Date: December 2025
Displacement emissions are indirect emissions from producing a replacement feedstock when an economically valuable feedstock is removed from the market. This Standard describes the methodology to estimate displacement emission risk level.
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RSB Social Impact Assessment (SIA) Guidelines

  • Reference code: RSB-GUI-05-001
  • Version: 3
  • Date: January 2018
The RSB Social Impact Assessment Guidelines are designed to help the operator understand the RSB social impact assessment (SIA) process. The guidelines should be read together with the RSB Impact Assessment Guidelines (RSB-GUI-02-001) which provide a roadmap of the various processes required to complete the RSB impact assessment process and stakeholder engagement process, the latter being central to the completion of the SIA. This document was previously numbered as GUI-01-005-01.
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RSB Standard Amendment – RSB requirements for woody biomass

  • Reference code: RSB-SA-01
  • Version: 1.0
  • Date: December 2021
This RSB Standard Amendment has been developed with the aim to review and clarify the approach of the RSB towards woody biomass, related to adequate sustainability requirements (RSB Principles & Criteria) as well as the calculation of Greenhouse Gas emissions. The RSB certification system is a risk-based system which means that several tools and mechanisms are available to en-sure that the focus of the implementation and auditing is set at areas that matter most in a specific context (for example: RSB Screening Tool, RSB Approach for Waste and Residues reflected in the RSB Standards for Advanced Fuels and Advanced Products) while removing barriers to certification for low-risk feedstocks.
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RSB-STD-01-003-01 RSB GHG Calculation Methodology

  • Reference code: RSB-STD-01-003-01
  • Version: 3.2
  • Date: July 2025
RSB’s GHG Calculation Methodology is intended to define the GHG calculation methodology to be used by participating operators in the RSB certification scheme when calculating GHG emissions for the scope of their operations. This standard describes the methodology for calculating GHG emissions as embedded in the RSB Greenhouse Gas Calculator Tools. Furthermore, the intent of this standard is to ensure that all operators participating in the RSB certification systems use the same, standardised methodology to calculate GHG emissions. In the next revision of the GHG methodology, the numbering of this document will change to RSB-STD-03-001.
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STD-01-001: RSB Principles & Criteria

  • Reference code: RSB-STD-01-001
  • Version: 4.1
  • Date: July 2025
The RSB Principles & Criteria is the core document of the RSB sustainability framework sets out the general requirements for operations producing, converting and processing biomass, advanced fuels, products and biomaterials. This standard applies to all operators taking part in the RSB certification system as individual or groups of economic operators (e.g. a group of farmers), with the exception of traders who are not involved in the production, processing or transformation of biomass or any of its derivatives.
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STD-01-010 RSB Standard for Advanced Fuels

  • Reference code: RSB-STD-01-010
  • Version: 2.8
  • Date: April 2026
The RSB Standard for Advanced Fuels describes the requirements for the production of advanced fuels, including: • Fuels from biogenic end-of-life products and production residues • Recycled carbon fuels from non-biogenic end-of-life products and production residues • Renewable liquid and gaseous fuels of non-biological origin • Power to X technologies This standard is applicable to fuel producers, traders, processors and transporters in any region of the world – excluding the EU (if you are within the EU or seeking to trade with it, please use our RSB EU RED Fuel Standard). From the next scheduled major revision, this document will be renumbered as RSB-STD-06-001.
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STD-02-001 RSB Standard for Advanced Products (non-energy use)

  • Reference code: RSB-STD-02-001
  • Version: 2
  • Date: December 2018
This RSB Standard for Advanced Products enables producers of non-energy use products and their intermediates to demonstrate sustainable practices throughout their supply chain. Advanced Products can come in different forms. The following product categories are covered by this standard: • Category I: Products that are bio-based. These products are derived from biomass and have a share of bio-based content not less than 25% present in the product; • Category II: Products produced from non-biogenic end-of-life products or production residues; • Category III: Products produced in a production system that processes bio-based feedstock or non-bio-based end-of-life products or production residues in combination with virgin fossil feedstock and that ensures that at least 25% of the virgin fossil feedstock needed to produce the certified product batch are replaced by alternative feedstock (bio-based feedstock or non-bio-based end-of-life products, by-products or residues).
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