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The RSB Annual Conference in Geneva brought together leaders and delivery teams from industry and civil society working at the front line of the sustainable bioeconomy. Across our Collaboration Day, Flagship Day, and member-only Assembly of Delegates, one message rang clear. When Plan A falls short, credible progress depends on collaboration, scientific integrity and the courage to act differently.
Collaboration Day: Turning Barriers into Building Blocks
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The Conference opened with RSB’s first-ever Collaboration Day, an immersive programme of eleven hands-on workshops designed to move beyond ambition and into implementation. Rather than presentations or keynotes, participants rolled up their sleeves to tackle real-world challenges together, from sustainable fuels and materials to traceability systems and regulatory uncertainty.
Across the workshops, participants explored the practical application of Book and Claim systems, reflecting growing demand for scalable approaches in contexts where physical traceability is not feasible. Drawing on experience from aviation, discussions examined emerging applications across maritime, chemicals and steel, testing assumptions and identifying where existing models need to adapt.
Several workshops focused on technical and operational complexity. In a hands on session using the redesigned RSB GHG Calculator, participants worked through scenarios including co-processing facilities, feedstock blending and allocation challenges. An interactive Plastic Reboot role play tested transition pathways across the packaging value chain, highlighting that procurement incentives and internal alignment can be as critical to progress as material availability.
Other sessions examined how credible action can be unlocked at scale. Participants explored Book and Claim pilots in maritime freight, unpacked feedstock eligibility across regulatory frameworks such as EU RED and CORSIA, and discussed how regional Sustainable Transition Projects can enable progress that individual actors cannot achieve alone.
The day also created space for system-level and strategic discussion, including interoperability between registries, navigating uncertainty around IMO decisions, advancing Power-to-X solutions, addressing ILUC risk, and setting shared priorities for sustainable chemicals and materials. Despite the diversity of topics, a consistent insight emerged. Credible solutions depend on collaboration between roles and sectors that rarely sit in the same room.
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Transition Leaders’ Awards Gala and the 2025 Winners
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Collaboration Day closed with the RSB Transition Leaders’ Awards Gala Dinner in Geneva on 9 December, celebrating leadership and real-world impact across the value chain.
From over 50 entries across six continents, the 2025 RSB Transition Leaders’ Awards recognise changemakers driving credible transitions across the sustainable bioeconomy.
Our 2025 Winners:
- Bioeconomy Breakthrough: IFF, Designed Enzymatic Biomaterials Platform
- Sustainable Fuels and Energy: Nufarm, Seed Technologies
- Sustainable Products and Materials: Topsoe, PureStep
- Sustainable Procurement Leadership: DHL Group
- Civil Society Leadership: Youth Climate Action Network
- Outstanding Individual Leadership: Freya Burton
Each winner represents the courage, collaboration and innovation required to shift systems and accelerate climate action. Their work spans breakthrough technologies and circular products, inclusive community programmes and responsible procurement strategies.
Eligible winners received nomination for the 2026 Earthshot Prize. To every nominee, your work inspires us. To our winners, congratulations on leading credible transitions across sectors. And to our Awards sponsor, Airbus, thank you for your support.
Explore the winners’ stories and those of other shortlisted nominees on our website.
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Flagship Day: What Does Credible Action Look Like Now?
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If Collaboration Day focused on how to act, Flagship Day challenged participants to reflect honestly on why traditional approaches have fallen short and what must change.
Under the theme of moving from Plan A to Plan B, Flagship Day brought together bold voices across the sustainable bioeconomy to ask difficult questions. What failed? What still works? And what does credible leadership look like under pressure?
Across keynotes, panels and showcases, three words echoed consistently. Science, boldness and collaboration. Speakers were candid about broken promises, shifting market conditions and regulatory uncertainty, but equally clear that progress remains possible when strategies adapt to reality rather than clinging to outdated assumptions.
Across panels and showcases, participants from aviation, fuels, chemicals and materials engaged with difficult questions. What failed. What still works. And what credible leadership looks like when policy signals weaken, markets shift and expectations continue to rise.
Three themes echoed consistently throughout the programme. Science, boldness and collaboration. Speakers were open about broken promises, regulatory uncertainty and changing conditions, but equally clear that progress remains possible when strategies adapt to reality rather than clinging to fixed assumptions or inherited models.
Senior leaders shared how sustainability strategies are evolving under pressure, how commitments can be sustained when conditions change, and why success today depends less on static targets and more on mission-driven, adaptive action.
Flagship Day closed with SAF and the City, a Geneva-inspired SkyNRG-hosted mini-event format that blended networking, games, discovery and practical storytelling around the future of flight. It was a reminder that resilience, curiosity and collaboration remain essential as the sector navigates uncertainty and continues building momentum beyond the Conference.
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Flagship Day: What Does Credible Action Look Like Now?
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The Annual Conference concluded with the RSB Assembly of Delegates, the Association’s formal decision-making forum where RSB Members exercise their rights and responsibilities in the governance of the organisation. The Assembly provided space for open discussion and decision-making on key strategic and governance matters, including evolutions in RSB’s governance structure, developments related to impact claims, the potential inclusion of nuclear energy within the RSB Standard for Advanced Fuels and its implications, and progress on RSB’s Book and Claim system. Members also addressed core governance topics such as the election of Board members and the approval of membership dues,
reinforcing the collaborative and member-led nature of RSB’s governance.
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Flagship Day: What Does Credible Action Look Like Now?
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The Conference concluded with the RSB Assembly of Delegates, where members engaged with RSB’s current priorities and future direction. This brought the Annual Conference to a close with a strong sense of shared ownership and momentum.
Across two intensive days, the RSB Annual Conference reinforced a clear takeaway. There is no single organisation, solution or silver bullet for the challenges ahead. But when diverse actors come together with honesty, scientific rigour and a willingness to rethink assumptions, Plan B becomes not just an option, but a credible path forward.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our Impact Sponsor Nufarm, our Networking Sponsor SkyNRG, and our breaktime sponsors Gevo and Future Energy Global for their valued support of the RSB Annual Conference 2025. Your partnership played a vital role in shaping the dialogue, connections and momentum that defined this year’s event.
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