Can Sustainability Criteria Unlock Biomass Demand?

Alongside energy efficiency, electrification, and circularity, the bioeconomy can play a key role in the industrial transition and in fulfilling the EU’s climate goals. To ensure a competitive transition, boosting market demand for sustainable biomass-based products is becoming increasingly urgent. 

CEFIC, the European Chemical Industry Council, is urging the European Commission to establish an EU-wide sustainability framework for biomass used in products, arguing that clear criteria are needed to unlock market demand for biomass-derived chemicals and support the bloc's climate goals. The call comes as Brussels prepares its upcoming Biotech Act II and related initiatives.

In a new position paper, CEFIC states that while sustainability requirements already apply to biomass used for energy, no equivalent framework exists for biomass used in products — a gap the association says creates investment uncertainty and risks fragmenting the EU Single Market. CEFIC argues that robust sustainability criteria would safeguard environmental integrity and ensure biomass value chains deliver verifiable greenhouse gas benefits, potentially including product-level content targets for biomass-derived material.

Specifically, CEFIC recommends that the EU build on the existing Renewable Energy Directive's sustainability criteria rather than creating a separate regime, recognize established certification schemes to limit administrative burden, apply rigorous life-cycle GHG accounting, and preserve broad feedstock eligibility to encourage innovation.

The association says a harmonized approach would give companies the regulatory certainty needed to invest in emerging biomass-based value chains, a theme also raised at CEFIC's recent event on bioeconomy targets. The position paper is being released as EU lawmakers continue discussions on the Industrial Accelerator Act and the forthcoming Biotech Act II.