Quantifying the Challenges of Adopting Sustainability Criteria for Biofuel Production

The report identifies significant barriers to the adoption of sustainability certifications for biofuels, particularly for producers using agricultural or forest feedstocks and those operating in developing countries. Key challenges include a lack of flexibility in indicators to meet local conditions, high certification costs without guaranteed market premiums, and auditor inexperience with new social requirements. Conversely, producers using non-agricultural or non-forest wastes find the process simpler. The study recommends regional adaptation of standards and the creation of secure, large-scale markets to incentivize certification.

• The lack of flexibility and adaptation of environmental and social indicators to local conditions can act as a barrier to the certification process.
• Wider adoption of sustainability standards is limited by the absence of a guaranteed sizeable market or a price premium for certified sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).
• Biofuel producers who utilize non-agricultural or non-forest wastes for production experience a simpler certification process for sustainable practices.
• Compliance difficulties are partly caused by auditors lacking experience with new certification schemes and their specific social requirements.
• Producers in developing countries face greater difficulty in accessing necessary data for certification compared to those in developed countries.
• Producers using annual crops face higher costs and effort for certification than those using perennial crops or wastes because they must frequently certify new suppliers.
• While certification may not provide a price premium, it can improve a company's image and help attract new investors.
• The RSB standard is considered the most comprehensive for the aviation sector, but some operators suggest it should be adjusted to the specific activities of different roles (e.g., feedstock producer vs. blender) to simplify the process.

APA

Serafini, D. (2016). Quantifying the Challenges of Adopting Sustainability Criteria for Biofuel Production. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sustainability-criteria-biofuel-production.pdf

Chicago

Serafini, Damiana. Quantifying the Challenges of Adopting Sustainability Criteria for Biofuel Production. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2016. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sustainability-criteria-biofuel-production.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Serafini |first1=Damiana |title=Quantifying the Challenges of Adopting Sustainability Criteria for Biofuel Production |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2016 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sustainability-criteria-biofuel-production.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{serafini2016quantifying, author = {Serafini, Damiana}, title = {{Quantifying the Challenges of Adopting Sustainability Criteria for Biofuel Production}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2016}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sustainability-criteria-biofuel-production.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }