Are biomass projects that make use of palm oil or palm oil byproducts eligible for certification?

Are biomass projects that make use of palm oil or palm oil byproducts eligible for certification?

The eligibility of project activities making use of palm oil and/or palm oil mill by-products or residues for electricity and/or heat generation, and/or for biofuel production shall be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by Gold Standard, at the time of preliminary review. 

The Project Developers must provide the following, on top of the standard project documentation:

  1. A Stakeholder Consultation Report in accordance with Stakeholder Consultation and Engagement Requirements, and provided as part of the documentation to be reviewed at the time of the preliminary review.
  2. A Compliance Report showing that the project is in compliance with the latest version of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil guidance document on Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil Production (including the national interpretations), validated by a GS-VVB, and provided as part of the documentation to be reviewed at the time of the registration review. 

Project Developers must demonstrate that they have started the process for RSPO compliance at the time of preliminary review. If the project is located in a country where a national interpretation of the RSPO principles has not been established and approved by the RSPO, compliance shall be established against the international RSPO Criteria. In such a case, the certification body must develop local indicators through a consultative process, available in the local language.