Author: Ilaria Bientinesi

STAR4BBS Empowers Bio‑Based Industry Through Two High-Caliber April Trainings on Greenwashing & CSRD Compliance

STAR4BBS Empowers Bio‑Based Industry Through Two High-Caliber April Trainings on Greenwashing & CSRD Compliance

Posted on by Ilaria Bientinesi

STAR4BBS Empowers Bio‑Based Industry Through Two High-Caliber April Trainings on Greenwashing & CSRD Compliance

STAR4BBS, with key support from projects such as SUSTCERT4BIOBASED and Engage4BIO, has released recordings and presentation materials from two impactful online trainings held in March 2025. These sessions addressed critical sustainability challenges for the bio‑based sector: tackling greenwashing, and meeting new EU requirements under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

“Navigating the new EU legislations to address greenwashing: how standards and research projects can support the bio‑based industry”

Date: 25 March 2025
This session featured expert speakers including Elena Mocchio, Gustavo De Feo, Margaux Le Gallou, and representatives from BIOBASEDCERT. It offered a comprehensive examination of recent EU legislation aimed at combatting greenwashing—misleading environmental claims—and guided the audience on how standards and certification initiatives fortify credible sustainable branding bbs.unibo.eu+8star4bbs.eu+8star4bbs.eu+8.

Viewers are invited to:

  • Watch the full recording.
  • Download presentations from each speaker for insights on legal frameworks, green-claims substantiation, and certification tools.

“Training on Navigating the CSR Directive”

Date: 14 March 2025
Co-hosted by STAR4BBS, Engage4BIO, and SUSTCERT4BIOBASED, this 90‑minute session examined the EU’s CSRD and its transformative impact on companies within the bio‑based industry app.3blmedia.com+4star4bbs.eu+4eubionet.eu+4.
Key highlights included:

  • A detailed breakdown of CSRD obligations – who must report, what data to provide, and compliance timelines.
  • Findings from the STAR4BBS project illustrating how research outputs and voluntary standards can streamline reporting and align activities with the EU Taxonomy.
  • SME-focused insights from Engage4BIO, offering practical support tools and innovation pathways to meet CSRD requirements.
    Participants also engaged in interactive Q&A with sector specialists.

Access Learning Materials

Both events are now available to watch on-demand. STAR4BBS encourages stakeholders across the bio‑based industry—environmental managers, compliance officers, SMEs, scheme owners, and policymakers—to leverage these resources to sharpen sustainability practices, strengthen reporting credibility, and enhance market trust.

About STAR4BBS
Led by Technische Universität Berlin, the STAR4BBS project fosters sustainable bio‑based systems via effective certification, labelling, and monitoring. By developing new indicators, tracking trade flows, and collaborating with scheme owners and industry partners, STAR4BBS supports the European Green Deal’s goals

From date
2025-04-04
To date
2025-08-31
BIOBASEDCERT Final Conference

BIOBASEDCERT Final Conference

Posted on by Ilaria Bientinesi

On May 13, 2025, the BIOBASEDCERT Final Conference in Brussels convened over 80 stakeholders from across Europe to explore the future role of voluntary sustainability certification in driving the EU’s green transition. Organized by the STAR4BBS, HARMONITOR, and SUSTCERT4BIOBASED projects, the event showcased key research results and sparked critical dialogue on the tools and policies needed to support a sustainable circular bioeconomy.

Certification at the Core of Policy Innovation

Central to the discussions was the BIOBASEDCERT Monitoring Tool (BMT), a novel framework developed to evaluate the effectiveness, comprehensiveness, and transparency of sustainability certification schemes (CSLs). Participants examined the tool’s potential use as a co-regulatory instrument within EU policy frameworks, particularly in the context of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the Empowering Consumers Directive.

Interactive sessions and expert panels provided insight into the integration of certification schemes into emerging EU legislative landscapes, including digital product passports, substantiation of green claims, and alignment with broader sustainability goals. Speakers emphasized that while certification schemes can enhance transparency and trust, their successful implementation depends on balancing credibility, cost-efficiency, and inclusiveness—especially for SMEs.

Key Takeaways and Policy Recommendations

The conference generated a range of policy insights and actionable recommendations:

  • Promote co-regulation: Use voluntary certification schemes to complement EU legislative tools, particularly in complex bio-based value chains.

  • Strengthen data systems: Develop harmonized, EU-wide standards for trade flow monitoring to support traceability and informed policymaking.

  • Support SMEs: Offer financial incentives, training, and access to shared infrastructure to reduce certification costs and promote uptake.

  • Enhance credibility: Standardize claims, improve transparency, and align certification with EU priorities on climate, circularity, and consumer protection.

  • Stimulate multistakeholder dialogue: Address governance and power imbalances by fostering inclusive conversations across industry, civil society, and public institutions.

Spotlight on Innovation

A standout moment was the policy workshop led by DG RTD.B1 on the ESPR and Consumer Empowerment Directive, where experts explored how these regulations reshape sustainability claims, labelling, and market access for bio-based products. Discussions highlighted the role of digital product passports and the need to ensure that certification and traceability mechanisms are both rigorous and feasible.

Moving Forward

The event concluded with a co-creation session translating research findings into future policy actions. Using real-time audience feedback via Mentimeter, participants reaffirmed the importance of continuous engagement with policymakers, robust monitoring tools, and coordinated policy frameworks.

By bridging research, regulation, and real-world practice, the BIOBASEDCERT Final Conference positioned voluntary certification not just as a compliance mechanism, but as a catalyst for innovation and trust in Europe’s sustainable bioeconomy.

From date
2025-05-13
To date
2025-08-31
EU Bioeconomy Needs Urgent Policy Action to Address Sustainability Certification Gaps

EU Bioeconomy Needs Urgent Policy Action to Address Sustainability Certification Gaps

Posted on by Ilaria Bientinesi

The BIOBASEDCERT research cluster has revealed critical gaps in sustainability certification across the EU bioeconomy, calling for immediate policy intervention to address fragmentation and improve transparency in bio-based markets.

The comprehensive research, conducted by three Horizon Europe projects (HARMONITOR, STAR4BBS, and SUSTCERT4BIOBASED), found that current certification schemes and labels (CSLs) for bio-based products vary significantly in scope, ambition, and implementation, creating confusion among stakeholders and undermining market confidence.

Key Findings

Market Monitoring Gaps: The EU lacks systematic tracking of bio-based product trade flows and certification levels. While certification rates are relatively high for palm oil and wood products in Europe, data remains insufficient across most bio-based sectors.

Policy Fragmentation: EU bioeconomy policies remain fragmented across sectors, with notable scarcity of sector-specific sustainability targets outside the energy domain. This fragmentation has limited the effectiveness of circular economy measures, particularly in product design.

Certification Variability: Assessment of dozens of certification schemes revealed significant differences in governance, sustainability requirements, and verification processes, despite generally strong commitments to transparency and credibility.

Breakthrough Innovation: The BIOBASEDCERT Monitoring Tool

The research cluster has developed the innovative BIOBASEDCERT Monitoring Tool (BMT) – the first harmonized system to assess the robustness, comprehensiveness, and effectiveness of sustainability certification schemes for bio-based products. The tool evaluates schemes across three levels:

  • System Level: Operational and procedural aspects including governance and assurance
  • Content Level: Sustainability criteria covering environmental, circularity, social, and economic dimensions
  • Outcome Level: Real-world effectiveness and impact measurement

Testing with nine certification schemes and ecolabels demonstrated the tool’s potential to drive continuous improvement and provide clarity for policymakers.

Urgent Policy Recommendations

The research team issued seven key policy recommendations:

  1. Address Policy Fragmentation: Establish cohesive, sector-specific sustainability targets across the EU bioeconomy
  2. Enhance Trade Monitoring: Develop robust mechanisms for systematic monitoring of bio-based product trade flows and certification levels
  3. Strengthen Certification Standards: Improve coherence of policy targets to provide clear direction for certification schemes
  4. Quantify Costs and Benefits: Prioritize research to understand the full economic, environmental, and social impacts of certification
  5. Foster Collaboration: Promote continuous cross-sector dialogue among certification owners, policymakers, and industry leaders
  6. Support Local Value Chains: Expand use of locally sourced feedstocks, particularly in timber and waste management sectors
  7. Adopt the BMT: European Commission adoption of the monitoring tool would drive transparency and provide much-needed direction

Industry Impact

“The bio-based economy should not be assumed to be inherently sustainable,” the researchers warn. “Comprehensive evaluations must include environmental, circularity, social, and economic considerations, with robust methodologies to facilitate fair comparisons with fossil-based alternatives.”

The study revealed that consumption-based accounting of the EU bioeconomy indicates higher greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water use compared to production-based accounting, highlighting the EU’s reliance on imports and impacts outside its borders.

Collaborative Platform Continues

The BIOBASEDCERT cluster established a successful Collaborative Roundtable Platform bringing together certification schemes, policymakers, and stakeholders. Due to strong member support, discussions are underway to continue this forum beyond the project timeline.

About BIOBASEDCERT

The BIOBASEDCERT cluster comprises three Horizon Europe projects awarded under call ZEROPOLLUTION-01-07, working to assess and improve sustainability certification for bio-based systems in support of EU Green Deal objectives.

From date
2025-05-19
To date
2025-08-31
Navigating the CSR Directive: Leveraging Voluntary Sustainability Standards and Research to Strengthen Bio-Based Industry Reporting

Navigating the CSR Directive: Leveraging Voluntary Sustainability Standards and Research to Strengthen Bio-Based Industry Reporting

Posted on by Ilaria Bientinesi

Join the STAR4BBS and Engage4BIO projects for an insightful session on March 14th, 2025, from 09:30 to 11:00 CET, where experts delve into how the bio-based sector can meet sustainability reporting requirements under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

The bio-based industry is at a pivotal moment, is asked to comply with increasing regulatory expectations surrounding environmental impact. The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is a significant regulatory development that mandates companies to disclose detailed information about their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance.

To help businesses in the bio-based sector navigate these complex regulations and leverage the latest standards, the Star4BBS, Engage4BIO, and Sustcert4biobased projects are proud to present a focused training event designed to provide clarity on the CSRD and offer insights on how research, standards, and innovation can support companies in meeting these requirements.

Event Details:

  • Date: March 14th, 2025
  • Time: 09:30 – 11:00 CET
  • Duration: 1.5 hours
  • Registration Link: Sign up here

What will be discussed?

Understanding the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD): analysis of the CSRD, from key requirements, to how companies can comply, and what implications the directive has for organizations within the bio-based sector.

How Research Results Can Support the CSRD and EU Taxonomy: The Experience of the Star4BBS Project: findings from the Star4BBS project and how they offer crucial insights and practical tools to help bio-based companies align with the CSRD and the EU Taxonomy for sustainable activities.

Building Sustainable Bio-Based Innovation: Training and Support for SMEs from the Experience of Engage4BIO: lessons learned from the Engage4BIO project, focusing on how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the bio-based sector can access training, resources, and support to foster sustainability innovations and meet the CSRD’s requirements.

Moreover, during the final discussion, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage directly with the experts.

Check out the full agenda here: CSRD training_Agenda

This event is tailored to stakeholders who are keen to understand and navigate the regulatory landscape of sustainability reporting. You should attend the webinar if you are interested in gaining insights on:

  • CSRD requirements and how to effectively comply;
  • Key takeaways from leading research projects that help integrate sustainability reporting into business operations;
  • Support tools for SMEs;
  • Opportunities for networking with experts and like-minded professionals in the bio-based industry.

Don’t miss out!

Register today to secure your spot for this must-attend event: Register Now.

From date
2025-03-14
To date
2025-03-14