Sustainability auditing for Brazilian bioethanol

We are undertaking an extensive programme of audits in Brazil to assess the performance of all our sugar cane suppliers against a set of industry-leading environmental and social criteria. Most (typically more than 80%) of the bioethanol we supply in the UK is derived from Brazilian sugar cane.

The criteria were developed for Greenergy to meet the stringent requirements of the UK’s Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) and have been approved by the Government’s Renewable Fuels Agency as an RTFO Qualifying Standard. We are the first and only company to achieve this milestone.

We are currently in the process of auditing all of our Brazilian suppliers, with the first round of audits due for completion by spring 2009. Early results indicate that some but not all of our suppliers will pass the audit on the first occasion. We will continue to work with suppliers who do not pass the audit initially but have detailed plans for improvement within an appropriate timescale. In cases where we have found poor standards of practice which we do not think will be addressed quickly enough, we will not purchase from the supplier in question again in future.

A case study for one of our larger suppliers, available for download below, sets out in detail the areas covered by the audit.

We are proud that by working with our agricultural suppliers in the field and in the mill, we are encouraging the adoption of exemplary standards of practice. Our work is also contributing more widely to the development and use of sustainability standards for sugar. This is a real force for change.

>> More information about the development of the criteria.
>> Download the full criteria.