The work package has the following specific objectives:

• Developing principles and criteria for sustainable bioenergy production in the BSR;
• Assessing existing sustainability and certification schemes and deriving proposals for optimization;
• Performing policy monitoring and showing ways and good practices how to integrate the principles and criteria into policy frameworks and support schemes;
• Supporting the formulation and implementation of coherent strategies and action plans promoting sustainable production and use of bioenergy;
• Supporting informed policy making and improving data availability through an analysis of GHG lifecycle impacts of wood biomass use and by providing a methodological framework for assessing real uses of wood biomass for bioenergy.

General info about the work package:

The work package is structured into the following tasks coordinated by different task leaders:

Task 3.1: Development of sustainability principles and criteria for bioenergy production (Swedish Board for Agriculture)

Task 3.2: Certification systems for sustainable biomass production and use (Agency for Renewable Resources, Germany)

Task 3.3 Policy assessment and strategy development (German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety)

Task 3.4A: Sub-regional policy showcases (University of Rostock)

Task 3.4 B: Methodology for assessing wood biomass use (Swedish Forest Agency)

Key deliverables include guidance on sustainability principles and criteria, an exemplary analysis on GHG lifecycle impacts of small-scale wood biomass use, an assessment and comparative analysis of sustainability schemes and certification systems, an exemplary stakeholder consultation on sustainability certification, a trans-national stakeholder workshop on sustainability certification, EU and BSR country policy assessments, policy guidance for strategy and action plan development, capacity development workshops for policy makers, sub-regional policy showcases and guidance for (sub-)regional policy makers, and a methodological framework for assessing real uses of  wood biomass for bioenergy.