7th May 2024

Bonsucro and Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement to develop an integrated procedure of Bonsucro & RenovaBio certifications. 

Through this partnership, we will: 

• build a shared procedure for sugarcane ethanol producers in Brazil to obtain both certifications. 
• exchange experiences and knowledge about the certification process and sum efforts towards the improvement of both schemes. 

What are ANP and RenovaBio? 

The National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) is the federal entity responsible for regulation, hiring and oversight of economic activities in the oil, natural gas and biofuels industry in Brazil.  

It sets the criteria, procedures and responsibilities for regulating and supervising biofuels certification within the scope of RenovaBio. 

Established by Law 13.576/2017, RenovaBio, the Brazilian National Biofuel Policy, is a programme supporting and promoting the production and use of renewable biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel. It is part of Brazil’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning towards more sustainable energy sources.  

It operates by certifying biofuel producers based on their production efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction performance. These producers receive Decarbonization Credits (CBIOs), which are then traded on the financial market, creating an economic incentive for the reduction of carbon emissions. 

Integrating the RenovaBio and Bonsucro certification schemes 

Aligning RenovaBio and Bonsucro will provide a new way of demonstrating sustainable practices by Brazilian ethanol producers that want to get certified against the most relevant standards.  

On a voluntary basis, producers will be able to follow one single certification procedure that will cover both certification schemes; optimizing audit efforts and reducing the burden of costs, admin and logistics. 

Alignment with a national certification scheme will significantly strengthen the value of Bonsucro certification in Brazil. 

Beyond the alignment of both schemes, the Technical Cooperation Agreement between Bonsucro and ANP will favour: 

• Mutual exchange of experiences. 
• Integrated analysis of data from both certifications. 
• Promotion of the RenovaBio scheme in other sugarcane producing regions that are exploring creating similar policies. 
• Integration of oversight process for certification bodies.  
• Integration of training structure for certifiers and producers. 

Brazil, a key country for sustainable sugarcane ethanol 

As the world’s largest producer of sugarcane ethanol, Brazil is a priority country for Bonsucro. 

The use of ethanol in Brazil as an alternative fuel has been mainstream since the 1970s, and Brazil is the only country in the world to use pure ethanol, E100, which is sold directly to consumers.

In the 2021-22 season, ethanol producers in Brazil generated 95% of the global supply of Bonsucro-certified ethanol, with more than 3.6 million cubic metres.

“Brazil’s ethanol sector is leading the way for sustainability and can play a significant role in decarbonising transport worldwide. This collaboration will accelerate the adoption of environmentally and socially responsible practices in sugarcane ethanol production, benefiting farmers, workers, the environment, and the economy.”

Danielle Morley, CEO, Bonsucro

“Today, an extract of the cooperation agreement between the ANP and Bonsucro, for a period of 36 months, was published in the Official Gazette of the Union of Brazil. The objective is to develop an integrated certification procedure for sugarcane ethanol producers who wish to voluntarily obtain Bonsucro and RenovaBio certifications, which is the Brazilian National Biofuels Policy. We hope to promote integrated analysis of ethanol producers that have both certifications, reducing costs and optimizing processes. The agreement also opens up the possibility of technical improvements and future cooperation aimed at other procedures that can add to RenovaBio.”

Fernando Moura Alves, Director at ANP

Next steps 

Bonsucro and ANP will now start building a team of experts to develop the integrated certification procedure. This will entail a set of unique skills, from assurance systems to the development of certification tools. 

The Technical Cooperation Agreement, that has a duration of 36 months, does not aim to change the provisions of RenovaBio’s official documents. Within this timeframe, ANP and Bonsucro will also conduct pilot tests of the procedure at sugarcane ethanol plants, run a public consultation process and develop an integrated training program for both certification bodies and ethanol producers. 

In 2025, we will be looking for companies to pilot the procedure and take part in a public consultation. If you’re interested in getting involved, make sure to receive updates by signing up to Bonsucro’s monthly bulletin.