WIREC 2008

Pilot Project - Certification of biomass and biofuels

More than 2.000 participants from over 80 countries visited the "Washington internationally Renewable Energy Conference" (WIREC) at the beginning of March 2008 in Washington. WIREC is world wide the largest conference of renewable energies. The meeting, an invitation of the US government, is after Beijing in 2005 the second subsequent conference of the Bonn Renewables 2004. The focus of the conference was innovation in the renewable energy area and the chances and challenges of a broad and rapid world wide spread of renewable energy.

The ISCC project was presented at this important international conference in the framework of an official side event of the German Federal Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV). Dr. Katharnia Boettcher from BMELV introduced the topic and was followed by Dr. Rob Vierhout von ebio, who gave an overview about the current sustainability development at EU level. Dr. Norbert Schmitz, from meó, presented the concept, objectives and “modus-operandi” of the project. Dr. Kristian Moeller from GlobalGap described how an implementation of sustainability topics can occur in a concrete certification work.

The remarks encountered great interest within the participants. The approach of a practical test was positively evaluated. Participants consider this better than to add one more theoretical view to the many already available sustainability studies.