C&S Informal Consultation 2010/11

Informal consultation - call for feedback:

The Renewable Fuels Agency aims to help the UK industry to best prepare for the RED by adapting the RTFO  Carbon & Sustainability reporting system to be as consistent as possible with the European Commission C&S requirements from the start of the third year of the RTFO in April 2010. This is intended to enable a period of reporting against indicative 'RED ready' criteria before the introduction of mandatory C&S requirements when the UK Government implements the RED (expected December 2010).

As presented at our stakeholder workshop on 6 October 2009 in London (presentations listed below), we are currently holding an informal consultation on our 'RED-ready' C&S guidelines to be implemented from April 2010. The Ecofys and E4tech presentations provided at our webpage outline the proposed changes, adjustments and updates on our approach. Under our proposals, biodiversity criteria would be dealt with through the current RTFO meta-standard system, with a new option added to report independently verified compliance with the RED biodiversity criteria. Protection of high carbon land would be monitored through modifications to the previous land use reporting category. On the carbon side, we propose to introduce the RED carbon methodology (resulting in changed default emissions), retaining the detail afforded by allowing the reporting country level defaults (which are not explicitly included in the RED). Questions remain to be clarified by the European Commission communication planned for December and the ongoing comitology process, such as what the definitions for biofuels from wastes and residues will be under the RED.

We invite our stakeholders for feedback on the proposals, either in person or written input to c-and-s@rfa.gsi.gov.uk. A formal consultation on our revised guidance will take place in February after the Commission communication has been published.

Documentation:

Ecofys benchmark results of the RTFO Qualifying Standards against the RED
The Qualifying Standards (QS) in the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) were benchmarked against the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive (RED) to check for a match against the Articles on the protection of biodiversity (17.3), land with high carbon stocks (17.4) and peatland (17.5). The purpose of the benchmark was to assess whether the QS could potentially be used by operators to show compliance with the RED.

Ecofys benchmark results 
Ecofys recommendations for RED compliance - updated 1/12/09

Presentations:

RFA Stakeholder Workshop 6 October 2009 presentations

RED-ready RTFO - carbon methodology presentation
RED-ready RTFO - carbon methodology - Annex 2 of the presentation (Fuel Chain Definitions)
RED-ready RTFO - carbon methodology - Annex 3 of the presentation (Calculation templates)
E4tech presented work they have undertaken for the RFA on the implementation of the RED carbon methodology under the RTFO.

RED-ready RTFO - sustainability criteria
Ecofys presented work they have undertaken for the RFA on the implementation of the RED sustainability criteria under the RTFO.

RED C&S - Dutch approach
Hans de Waal presented the Dutch Government's thinking on the implementation of RED carbon and sustainability criteria.

RED C&S - German approach
Karl-Heinz Schnau of the BLE (Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung) presented the German Government's thinking on the implementation of RED carbon and sustainability criteria.

RED C&S - German approach - translation
This document, drafted by RFA staff, provides you an English translation of relevant German words used in the presentation. The translation is provided by courtesy of RFA, please do not solely rely on it.

Last Modified: 05 Jan 2010