The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) discusses its role in promoting sustainability in the biomaterials industry through rigorous standards, certification, and support for businesses to achieve transparent and responsible supply chain practices.
The need for transparency and accountability in the supply chain is more critical than ever as the world shifts towards adopting sustainable practices. Sustainable biomaterials offer alternatives to traditional fossil-fuel-derived materials and play a crucial role in addressing climate change, resource depletion, and pollution.
The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials is at the forefront of the transition to a more responsible and bio-based economy. The RSB brings together diverse expertise from industry and academia to establish rigorous standards and provide a platform for companies to effectively implement and verify these practices.
To find out more, The Innovation Platform spoke with the RSB to learn more about how the organisation supports and advances the sustainable biomaterials industry.
Can you provide an overview of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials?
RSB is a collaborative network of global companies advancing the transition to a sustainable and bio-based economy.
As a not-for-profit, multi-stakeholder community, we bring together leading expertise from industry, civil society, and academia to deliver the most trusted sustainability framework in the bioeconomy – endorsed by regulatory programmes like EU RED and ICAO CORSIA, and civil society organisations like WWF and UNEP.
Working with RSB helps companies do more than demonstrate sustainability performance.
Our partners use RSB’s tools and certification system to:
- De-risk operations by embedding sustainability at the heart of supply chain design and decision-making
- Access new markets and global supply chains, supported by internationally recognised certification
- Strengthen investor and stakeholder confidence through transparent, third-party verified sustainability claims
- Improve supply chain resilience and cost-efficiency by proactively addressing resource risks and future regulatory shifts
- Differentiate in a crowded market by aligning with the highest bar for sustainability performance
In addition, RSB provides tailored technical support and advisory services to help integrate sustainability into business operations from day one. This ensures that sustainability, traceability, and credibility are built in from the start, not bolted on later.
RSB doesn’t just verify sustainability performance: our framework empowers businesses to deliver positive climate, biodiversity and community outcomes.
Can you explain what constitutes a sustainable biomaterial?
Just because a material is bio-based doesn’t mean it’s sustainable. For us at RSB, it’s not just about inputs; it’s about impacts too.
At RSB, we define and certify sustainable biomaterials through a set of 12 comprehensive Principles & Criteria, developed with input from across sectors and geographies. By aligning with RSB’s Principles & Criteria, these materials aim to support climate goals, safeguard people and nature, and contribute to a more circular and regenerative economy.
RSB-certified biomaterials are already enabling proven sustainability impact across multiple industries.
Our members are using them to produce:
- Sustainable fuels for aviation and shipping
- Renewable plastics and packaging in consumer goods
- Bio-based chemicals and materials in fashion, and more
In each of these sectors, RSB certification and assurance provide the transparency and credibility needed to back robust sustainability claims, which is especially critical as markets and regulators demand greater accountability.
RSB offers programmes and certifications that support the industry. Could you elaborate on these?
RSB takes a systems-level approach to building credible, future-ready sustainability solutions to the triple planetary crisis. This includes our globally recognised certification system and our innovative programmatic work.
RSB Certification
Our certification system goes beyond being a compliance tool; it’s a platform for change. It helps its users build trust, unlock market access, and deliver meaningful impact. By combining the world’s most trusted standard for sustainability performance with rigorous and independent auditing, transparent reporting, and third-party oversight, RSB’s certification system delivers trusted sustainability impact and claims.
We’ve developed specific certification solutions for every context – regardless of the operator type, location, supply chain type, feedstock or final product. These certification solutions provide guidance and rules for the implementation of the Principles & Criteria in any situation, supporting a diverse group of operators to make truly credible claims.
Programmes
RSB’s programmatic work is the innovation centre of our organisation, where we create and share sustainability knowledge, tools, stakeholder action and unique approaches to drive the sustainable sector transformation globally.
Our flagship programmes include:
- Book & claim – RSB and its multistakeholder community have been pioneering the ‘book and claim’ chain-of-custody solution for over a decade. The continuous development of this market mechanism is enabling companies to invest in sustainable fuels even when physical supply isn’t yet available in their operations, accelerating market adoption without compromising traceability or credibility.
- RSB Academy – The RSB Academy is a strategic approach to capacity building for the sustainable bioeconomy, providing accessible and high-quality educational content that empowers individuals and organisations to drive positive sector transformation. With an e-learning platform for self-paced online learning as its leading tool, the RSB Academy builds capacity and shared understanding across the value chain.
- Sustainability Transition Projects – RSB recognises the need for long-term, collaborative projects that go beyond individual supply chains to set the foundations for achieving future impact. RSB’s Sustainable Transition Projects connect investment to real, on-the-ground change through regional programmes that deliver social and environmental benefits while creating reliable, sustainable feedstock supply chains.
What are some of the challenges in promoting sustainable biomaterials, and how does the RSB address them?
The biggest challenge isn’t ambition, it’s trust.
As more companies seek to meet climate goals, the risk of weak claims, opaque systems, and greenwashing grows.
RSB addresses this through:
- Gold-standard assurance, with reasonable assurance audits, independent oversight, and full transparency (e.g. public audit reports, stakeholder consultations).
- Community-governed systems like the RSB Book & Claim Registry, which are built on consensus, not commercial convenience.
- Education and empowerment via the RSB Academy, helping partners understand and implement sustainability with integrity.
- Collaborative platforms like the RSB Annual Conference, which brings diverse actors together to confront challenges and scale credible alternatives.
RSB’s certification system is built for trust, ensuring that the high sustainability standards set by our multi-stakeholder community are met in a way that’s transparent and credible. It combines independent third-party audits with strong technical oversight and public reporting, so sustainability claims are backed by real evidence.
Looking ahead, what are the RSB’s primary goals — and what can we expect at the Annual Conference this year?
RSB’s mission is to advance the just transition to a sustainable bioeconomy. In other words, our strategic priorities are focused on scaling impact with integrity.
This means:
- Expanding our certification and innovative tools, like book & claim, across sectors
- Growing the RSB Academy to equip sustainability leaders at all levels
- Driving investment to regions and projects that support a just transition
- Ensuring our standards stay ahead of regulatory and market needs
RSB is focused not only on growing certification but also on driving real-world transformation through projects and partnerships. At this year’s RSB Annual Conference, we’re confronting what’s not working in the sustainability space, and spotlighting what is. RSB’s Annual Conference is where innovators, implementers, and system thinkers meet to show that credible alternatives are not only possible, they’re already in motion.
It’s a platform for honest dialogue, cross-sector solutions, and inclusive participation. Registrations are now open, and we invite everyone invested in the future of the bioeconomy to join.
Please note, this article will also appear in the 23rd edition of our quarterly publication.
