In Finland, UPM Biofuels received The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials certificate for BioVerno renewable diesel and naphtha, as well as production sidestreams turpentine and pitch. UPM’s renewable fuels reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 percent when compared with fossil fuels. RSB is one of the European Commission’s approved voluntary schemes, which can be used to show compliance with the EU Renewable Energy Directive’s sustainability criteria.
In RSB certification, the sustainability of biofuels is evaluated against 12 principles which have been approved by stakeholders, including NGOs and UN agencies. In addition to the greenhouse gas savings compared to fossil fuels, the RSB principles cover biodiversity, human rights and environmental and social responsibility throughout the value chain. RSB certification can also verify the sustainability of biomaterials for non-energy applications.
UPM Biofuels has previously received sustainability certificates under the Finnish National Sustainability Scheme and the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification schemes.