Essent signs Schokland Agreement

About sustainability criteria for the import of biomass

Representing a consortium of twenty companies, knowledge institutes and non-governmental organisations, chairman Essent's Executive Board Michiel Boersma signed the Schokland Agreement on Saturday 30 June. The cooperating parties hope to formalise agreements with the government about sustainability criteria for the import of biomass.

The Schokland Agreement is an initiative of Project 2015, which was established by the government in order to make up for the arrears in realising the eight 'Millennium Development Objectives'. In 2000, 189 countries agreed to tackle the eight most important global problems before 2015. These include problems such as combating extreme poverty and hunger, non-sustainable living environments and promoting fair trade. Project 2015 hopes to speed up the process by formalising agreements with companies, organisations and individuals: the Schokland Agreement.

The Agreement was signed last Saturday during a public event on the island of Schokland in the Northeast Polder. The twenty signing parties of the biomass initiative (which in addition to Essent include Nuon, Electrabel, EPZ and the World Wildlife Foundation) hope to be able to formalise sustainability criteria for the import of biomass. They wish to establish a joint certification system and an independent 'clearing house' which will provide the certificates. The initiating parties are allowing six years for the realisation of the programme. During this period, the exporting countries will also organise pilot projects for setting up sustainable biomass production.

Published: 09 July 2007