water in biofuels certification schemes

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Horst Fehrenbach – IPIECA workshop Rome 09 November 2010

Water in biofuels certification schemes

gefördert durch das

Horst FehrenbachIFEU Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg - Germany

IPIECABiofuels Water Workshop 9 November 2010 Roma Eventi

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Content

1. Why Certification?

2. Overview on certification systems addressing water

3. What do the systems assess? (focus on three specific examples)

4. Open questions - Outlook

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Climate change: impact on biomass productivity

The presentation should rather focus on the concrete requirements included in the standards you are covering

Horst, in your case, I suggest you pick 2 or 3 significant systems included in your chapter, perhaps feedstock-specific schemes only? I don’t think any biofuel regulation address water issues so far, right?

Importantly, the challenges for the concrete implementation of water requirements (how to measure and evaluate water performance without being too technical or burdensome for economic operators for example) should be addressed and if possible, a few outlooks on how to cope with these challenges, based on your experience.

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Why certification?

- broadly agreed: water is an essential aspect regarding sustainability assessments.

stakeholders have enclosed water related criteria into voluntary systems.

- the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED) encloses requirements concerning water

voluntary systems may be applied or adequately adapted to meet the

legal requirements

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What are the requirements by the EU RED?

“… economic operators shall submit reliable information on measures taken for

- measures taken for soil, water and air protection

- and the avoidance of excessive water consumption in areas where water is scarce …”

( RED Article 18, paragraph 3)

NO CRITERION, JUST REPORTING!

Why certification?

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1. excessive water consumption by biomassproduction might worsen water scarcity. need for a scheme to identify excessive water consumption

2. Areas where water is scarce need to be classified. need for an indicator

Why certification?

Do existing voluntary systems match with these requirements? Do they provide a practical basis

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Overview on certification systems addressing water

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Overview on certification systems addressing water Systems Subject Water context

quantitative qualitative

FSC Wood + (-)

RSPO Palm oil + +RTRS Soybean + +

RSB Biofuel + +

ISCC Biofuel + +

SAN Agr. prod. + +

GGL Bioenergy + +

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What do the systems assess?Example: RSPO - direct concern

Criterion Indicators

Criterion 4.4

Practices maintain the quality and availability of surface and ground water.

• An implemented water management plan.• Protection of water courses and wetlands, including

maintaining and restoring appropriate riparian buffer zones.

• Monitoring of effluent BOD.• Monitoring of mill water use per tonne of FFB .

Criterion 7.2

Soil surveys and topographic information are used for site planning in the establishment of new plantings, and the results are

incorporated into plans and operations.

• Soil suitability maps or soil surveys adequate to establish the long-term suitability of land for oil palm cultivation should be available.

• Topographic information adequate to guide the planning of drainage and irrigation systems, roads and other infrastructure should be available.

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What do the systems assess?Example: RSPO - indirect concernCriterion Indicators

Criterion 4.3 Practices minimise and control erosion and degradation of soils.

• Maps of fragile soils must be available• A management strategy should exist for plantings on

slopes above a certain limit• Presence of road maintenance programme. • Subsidence of peat soils should be minimised under an

effective and documented water management programme.

• A management strategy should be in place for other fragile and problem soils (e.g. sandy, low organic matter, acid sulfate soils)

Criterion 7.4 Extensive planting on steep terrain, and/or on marginal and fragile soils, is avoided.

• Maps identifying marginal and fragile soils, including excessive gradients and peat soils, should be available.

• Where limited planting on fragile and marginal soils is proposed, plans shall be developed and implemented to protect them without incurring adverse impacts.

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What do the systems assess?Example: RTRS - direct concernPrinciple 5: Good Agricultural Practice

Criterion: 5.1 The quality and supply of surface and ground water is maintained or improved.

5.1.1 Good agricultural practices are implemented to minimize diffuse and localized impacts on surface and ground water quality from chemical residues, fertilizers, erosion or other sources and to promote aquifer recharge.

5.1.2 There is monitoring, appropriate to scale, to demonstrate that the practices are effective.

5.1.3 Any direct evidence of localized contamination of ground or surface water is reported to, and monitored in collaboration with local authorities.

5.1.4 Where irrigation is used, there is a documented procedure in place for applying best practices and acting according to legislation and best practice guidance (where this exists), and for measurement of water utilization.

Note: For group certification of small farms - Where irrigation is used for crops other than soy

but is not done according to best practice, a plan is in place and is being implemented to

improve practices. The group manager is responsible for documentation.

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What do the systems assess?Example: RTRS - direct concern

Guidance for criterion 5.1

5.1.2 Where appropriate there should be monitoring of parameters such as pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and electrical conductivity. Monitoring should be considered at watershed level.

5.1.2 Where there are wells these should be used to monitor ground water.

5.1.4 When using irrigation, attention should be paid to other potential uses such as household use or use by other food crops and if there is a lack of water priority should be given to human consumption

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What do the systems assess?Example: RSB - direct concernPrinciple 9: Biofuel operations shall maintain or enhance the quality and quantity of surface and ground water resources, and respect prior formal or customary water rights.

Criterion 9a. Biofuel operations shall respect the existing water rights of local and indigenous communities.

Criterion 9b. Biofuel operations shall include a water management plan which aims to use water efficiently and to maintain or enhance the quality of the water resources that are used for biofuel operations.

Criterion 9c: Biofuel operations shall not contribute to the depletion of surface or groundwater resources beyond replenishment capacities.

Criterion 9d. Biofuel operations shall contribute to the enhancement or maintaining of the quality of the surface and groundwater resources.

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What do the systems assess?Example: RSB - direct concernIndicators for Criterion 9a.

For non small-scale Operators:

9.a.i1 Water users within the watershed of the biofuel production operation have been assessed and documented according to the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) water rights guidelines.

9.a.i2 Existing water rights, both formal and customary/informal, prior to operations have been established.

9.a.i3 Water usage rights and access by local and indigenous communities are ensured and protected through the environmental and social management plan (ESMP) and the water management plan which ensures that biofuel production does not have any negative impact on the other users.

9.a.i4 The Operator does not use water which is subject to an unresolved legitimate dispute in accordance with the ESIA water rights guidelines.

9.a.i5 Where there has been a legitimate dispute, this has been settled through free, prior and informed consent and negotiated settlements with the affected stakeholders according to the stakeholder management and dispute resolution process of the ESIA guidelines.

9.a.i6 There are no unresolved legitimate water rights dispute regarding water rights or allocation licenses that have been granted to biofuel production.

9.a.i7 All required government regulated licenses and formal allocation processes have been completed and are valid.

9.a.i8 The requirement for water for ecosystems and to sustain biological life within the watershed of the operations have been established according to the ESIA ecological and water specialist study guidelines.

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Open questions

A useful Indicator for water scarcity is needed

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Open questions

Recommendation:Medium scale with the chance to gain data and to comply with the scientific relevance.

What is the appropriate resolution?

very large units:a.) National level:

data are available, but not related to hydrological units.

b.) large streams, river basins: hydrological units too large, not expressive .

small hydrological units:Expressive, but no data!

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RED requirements within the certification process

yes

Consumption of freshwater

yes

primarily sustainability in doubt: additional water consumption dispite scarcity. Please check if appropriate measures to avoid excessive use are applied Part 2 (B)

no

groundwater

fossilground water

excessive water consumption

< 4,000m³/(cap x a)

Daten primäraus globalerKartez.B. WRI, IWMI, Uni Kassel

ggf. Modellierung

primarily no scarcity conflict

please check possible excessive consumption Part 2 (A)

Part 1

< 1,700m³/(cap x a)

surfacewater

Water availability: is the project located in an

area with:

No water scarcity

Legend:

Water scarcity, possibly no excessive consumption

Possibly excessive consumptionNo water scarcity

excessive consumptionwater scarcity or

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Summary and Outlook

• Certification systems for Biofuel (or suitable feedstock) are addressing water issues amply!

• RED requires reporting on excessive water consumption in regions of water scarcity.

• Major concern: irrigation no focus within experienced certification systems (e.g. FSC) no experiences from the upcoming systems

• Water conflict occur locally/regionally and due to a combination of factors. There will be lessons to learn how to avoid conflicts or aggravating scarcities by applying the named ambitious certification systems

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Thank you for listening!

QUESTIONS?

Horst Fehrenbach

[email protected]

water in biofuels certification schemes

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