As 2025 comes to a close, RSB is proud to reflect on a year defined by bold ambition, deepening partnerships for impact, and the relentless pursuit of a net-positive world. Over the past twelve months, we’ve been solidifying RSB and its stakeholder community as a benchmark for sustainability in the bio-based and circular economy.
From securing recognitions under RED III and the UK’s RTFO, to pioneering digital solutions, such as the Impact Claims Platform and the Market Acceleration Indicator, RSB continued to shape the future of the sustainable biomaterials sector guided by our mission to create a net-positive world, built on trust.
As we look back on this journey from “Plan A to Plan B,” we invite you to explore the milestones that made 2025 a transformative chapter for RSB and the global bioeconomy.
These are the moments that defined 2025.
RSB’s 2025 at a glance
Community & engagement
- 27 new members joined RSB in 2025
- 33 meetings convened across RSB platforms and working groups
- 1,500+ participants engaged globally
- 10 public webinars delivered
- 3 RSB-hosted events and 60+ external events contributed to
- RSB Innovations Meeting (Seattle, USA)
- RSB Power-to-X Stakeholder Dinner (Tokyo, Japan)
- RSB Annual Conference (Geneva, Switzerland)
- 8 active RSB platforms, including 2 new launches in 2025:
- Impact Claims Platform
- Sustainable Chemicals & Materials Platform
Book & Claim: scaling with integrity
- 85 companies registered in the RSB Book & Claim System
- 208 Book & Claim Units (BCUs) issued, representing:
- 39,244 tonnes of SAF
- 128,293 tonnes CO₂e emission reductions
- 392 BCUs retired, representing:
- 18,531 tonnes of SAF
- 61,547 tonnes CO₂e emission reductions
- Stakeholder consultation and widespread engagement on:
- Additionality
- Market Acceleration Indicator add-on
- Interoperability research
- New system roles (Facilitators & Transport Service Providers)
Projects & programmes
- Delivery of 5 major international programmes, spanning sectors including aviation, plastics and materials, and topics like feedstock sustainability, Power-to-X and Book & Claim
- Project work across North America, Latin America, Europe, India and APAC
- Key focus areas:
- SAF readiness and certification capacity building
- Power-to-X roadmaps and policy engagement
- Sustainable materials decision-making tools
- Book & Claim market adoption and regional pilots
Certification, integrity & assurance
- Expansion from 2 to 5 approved certification bodies
- 37 certification applications received in 2025
- Applicants included Repsol, Glencore, Montana Renewables and Norden
- Continued commitment to:
- Reasonable assurance
- Public stakeholder consultations
- Public audit reports by default
- Independent grievance mechanism
- Published system integrity report with RSB’s independent oversight body
- Submitted a series of sixteen recommendations to the European Commission to strengthen certification systems
- Published a series of articles to highlight how a truly credible, robust certification system works in practice, covering topics like assurance depth, transparency, oversight, and continuous improvement.
Capacity building & digital tools
- 369 active users on the RSB Academy by end-November 2025
- Continued rollout of auditor and operator training courses
- Launch of Ruby, RSB’s certification chatbot
- Release of improved GHG calculation tools
JANUARY
Building momentum and strengthening trust
We kicked off the year by reinforcing trust in RSB’s governance and technical rigour. The role of our independent Technical Oversight Body, SAJOMA was spotlighted, underscoring the credibility of our assurance system and the integrity behind every RSB certification.
Regulatory progress was also front and centre, with the European Commission’s approval of co-processing under RED II—a milestone that expands pathways for sustainable fuel production. Simultaneously, we invited pilot partners to begin implementation of our Forestry Residue Guidance, advancing responsible biomass use.
The publication of RSB’s 2025 Standards Workplan closed out the month, setting clear priorities for the year and reaffirming our commitment to continuous improvement.
FEBRUARY
Advancing innovation and market solutions
The expansion of RSB Academy’s e-learning courses empowered stakeholders with vital sustainability skills. February also marked the launch of Book & Claim Manual V4, strengthening traceability and usability. Insights into our Platforms and Initiatives demonstrated how members are translating ambition into measurable outcomes.
MARCH
Strengthening our global role
March marked a significant acceleration in RSB’s work to enable trusted, scalable decarbonisation pathways.
Airbus became the first partner to pilot RSB’s new Facilitator Account role—a feature designed to improve access and flexibility for buyers and intermediaries participating in Book & Claim markets. This innovation aims to lower barriers to entry and scale demand for sustainable fuels through trusted frameworks. We celebrated the first registration of Book & Claim units for co-processed SAF within the RSB Registry, unlocking credible market-based mechanisms for low-carbon fuel adoption, a milestone in itself. This achievement—delivered in partnership with SkyNRG, signalled that high-integrity systems can support the growth of novel fuels in line with rigorous sustainability standards.
On the regulatory front, the European Commission issued a positive technical assessment of RSB’s criteria for agricultural biomass waste and residues under RED III—reinforcing our alignment with international sustainability directives and expanding certification opportunities for diverse feedstocks.
To help stakeholders navigate the full scope of RSB’s impact, we also released a new publication outlining our comprehensive sustainability framework—a user-friendly guide to the environmental, social, and climate criteria that define RSB’s net-positive approach.
Together, these developments strengthened the foundation for robust, trusted climate solutions—built not only on innovation, but on system-wide integrity.
APRIL
Credibility, capacity, and collaboration
RSB supported certified operators through a dedicated RED III webinar, helping them navigate regulatory changes. A series of “Upgrade to RSB” publications highlighted what distinguishes credible certification: rigorous assurance processes and independent oversight.
Expert platforms like SAF Policy and Sustainable Materials Framework continued to advance cross-sector collaboration. RSB also joined the Plastic Reboot Programme alongside GEF, WWF, and UN agencies—broadening the impact of credible certification.
MAY
Building momentum through partnerships and assurance
RSB joined the Green Fuel Forward campaign to accelerate SAF uptake in Asia–Pacific. Enhancements to the RSB Book & Claim Registry—including the new Facilitator Account role—added flexibility for market participants, while onboarding of new Certification Bodies reinforced robust assurance.
We published recommendations to the European Commission to support alignment and trust across certification frameworks. Building on this collaborative approach, we hosted the RSB Innovations Meeting 2025–in partnership with Alaska Airlines and Boeing—in Seattle.
JUNE
Expanding Horizons and Driving Innovation
June was a landmark month for RSB, marked by significant growth in our global partnerships and the launch of new tools, to drive transparency. We welcomed Enviva as a pilot organisation partner to explore sustainable forestry in the US and supported Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water and Energy in the launch of their revised national biofuel strategy. This month also saw the debut of our Impact Claims Platform, an innovative tool designed to help stakeholders communicate sustainability achievements that go beyond carbon.
From showcasing positive water-impact results in South Africa to building confidence in waste and residue certification, June highlighted RSB’s commitment to robust, nature-based solutions. Furthermore, we launched off Additionality Month for the second year, hosted in the RSB Book & Claim Platform.
JULY
Scaling integrity and celebrating leadership
RSB released upgraded GHG Tools to support more accurate, transparent emissions reporting across certified operators—meeting growing demands for data integrity and harmonisation.
Preparations intensified for the Annual Conference 2025, themed “Plan B starts here,” which would bring together the global RSB community to define next-generation solutions. To spotlight the pioneers driving this transition, we launched the RSB Transition Leaders’ Awards, sponsored by Airbus, to celebrate bold and credible sustainability leadership at all levels of the bioeconomy.
AUGUST
Building momentum for transition leadership
In August, RSB spotlighted the people and organisations delivering measurable, real-world change through the 2025 Transition Leaders’ Awards. These honours recognised the trailblazers proving that credible action isn’t just possible—it’s already underway.
As the countdown to the Annual Conference began, the awards helped anchor a new narrative: that leadership in the climate transition must be built not on claims, but on verifiable, transparent progress.
SEPTEMBER
Planning for a net-positive future
RSB published its 2024 Impact Report, showcasing how our standards and tools are delivering real value in the transition to a net-positive world.
In a major move to support interoperability, RSB became co-lead of the Book & Claim Community Secretariat at Smart Freight Centre—scaling market-based solutions for transport decarbonisation.
Across our community, we closed nominations to the RSB Transition Leaders’ Awards with over 50 nominations received across six categories.
OCTOBER
Strengthening global recognition and strategic partnerships
In October, RSB’s EU RED certification scheme was formally recognised under the UK’s Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), reaffirming its role as a gold standard in global policy frameworks.
Building on this regulatory recognition through strategic partnerships, we announced a new collaboration with ISMA in India, supporting SAF producers to prepare for ICAO CORSIA certification—ensuring readiness for 2027. Another collaboration with FSC signaled a breakthrough in aligning certification schemes across biomass, materials, and fuels to support a circular economy without duplication or trade-offs.
Whilst advancing systems-level change, our work recognising individual pioneers moved forward, with publication of the RSB Transition Leaders’ Awards nominees shortlist, enabling RSB members to begin the hard work of deliberating to select the winners.
NOVEMBER
Leading the charge for regulatory excellence and market scalability
RSB was recognised by the European Commission to certify RFNBOs and RCFs under RED III—further strengthening our role in guiding sustainable production of renewable and recycled fuels.
In parallel, we partnered with DHL Global Forwarding to pilot Book & Claim for freight decarbonisation, while publishing new research on registry interoperability—laying the groundwork for a more connected and credible sustainability infrastructure.
The RSB Academy launched new e-learning for Certification Bodies and auditors, reinforcing the foundation of trusted assurance across global markets.
This month also marked an important moment of continuity and evolution in RSB’s leadership. Julia Fidler was appointed as RSB’s new Executive Director, bringing a deep track record of sustainability leadership and cross-sector collaboration. Elena Schmidt, who has played a vital role in building RSB’s global reputation for technical excellence, transitioned into the new role of Senior Strategic Advisor—ensuring continuity, expertise, and long-term vision at the heart of RSB’s strategy.
DECEMBER
Celebrating leadership and charting the path for Plan B
We concluded the year in Geneva with over 170 stakeholders with the RSB Annual Conference, a flagship gathering that brought together leaders from across sectors to accelerate “Plan B”—the credible, practical pathway to a just transition. The event was generously sponsored by Nufarm, SkyNRG, FE Global and Gevo.
The Transition Leaders’ Awards were presented to outstanding individuals and organisations creating real-world change. We published the 2025 System Integrity Report, reaffirming our commitment to robust oversight, and launched the Market Acceleration Indicator—a new tool to guide SAF investment through trusted signals of market maturity.
We expanded our reach by releasing the first Book & Claim application study for Brazil and working with Chooose to scale digital tools that support SAF adoption.
Looking Ahead
In 2025, RSB demonstrated that credible sustainability is not a future ideal—it is a system that exists today, ready to scale. We’ve built the tools, secured the trust, and convened the partners needed to turn climate ambition into real transition.
As we enter 2026, our focus remains clear: to grow the global bioeconomy with absolute integrity, ensure that sustainability claims are backed by evidence, and continue guiding partners to deliver impact—credibly.
To all our members, collaborators, and supporters: thank you for standing with us. The road to a net-positive world doesn’t start tomorrow. It started here.
