Whistleblower Alleges Systemic Failures in UK-Approved US Biofuel Sustainability Certification
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Just weeks after the UK agreed to scrap tariffs on US ethanol imports as part of the US-UK trade deal - a decision that could potentially force British producers to shut down - a whistleblower is challenging the integrity of the sustainability certification process for US corn ethanol exported to the UK under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation.
In the UK, bioethanol is primarily used as a fuel additive for petrol, specifically in E5 and E10 blends, and corn bioethanol, imported from the US made up around 11% of all biofuels used here in 2024, according to UK Government statistics.
The US imports were certified as sustainable under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) system which, according to its website, is one of the world's largest certifiers of liquid biofuels.
An ex-auditor who worked directly for a Certification Body (CB) responsible for ISCC compliance in the US has shown Byline Times extensive documentation alleging widespread non-compliance and deliberate cover-ups.
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The former auditor, who declined to be named, first complained to the ISCC in December 2022, and, to date, is still waiting for a reply notifying him of the outcome. His last request for an update, on 31 July 2024, was not acknowledged.
Principle Two of the ISCC framework mandates "environmentally responsible production to protect soil, water and air".
During audits, however, the whistleblower routinely found significant violations of the standards required for certification, including improper and excessive fertiliser use, disregard for runoff risks, and a lack of any understanding of ISCC criteria among farmers.
The whistleblower alleges that, over a span of seven years, no instances of non-compliance were raised with farmers and attempts to do so were met with resistance not only from ethanol producers and grain storage facilities, but from the CB. He also accuses senior CB leadership of setting up a system of non-enforcement.
According to the whistleblower, ethanol manufacturers understand ISCC requirements, but by controlling upstream supply chains and paying for certifications, they ensure that their ethanol is exported to the EU and UK under the guise of sustainability.
"These guys want to sell their bioethanol to Europe, and they don't really care if it's sustainable or not, just that they can get it over there," he told Byline Times.
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The whistleblower claims that the grain storage hubs, which collect corn from multiple farms, often tried to influence the audits by flooding the meetings with their representatives creating an intimidating and obstructive environment. The whistleblower also described being followed, and monitored, during audits, undermining the independence of the process.
Farmers, he said, had no knowledge of ISCC certification standards before their first audit and were not given any practical guidance on how to meet sustainability requirements.
"So it was just luck if any farm passed the audit," he claimed.
The whistleblower maintains that the ethanol manufacturers' enormous demand for corn, and their fear that producers will take their business elsewhere, created a wides...
For digital and print editions, packed with exclusive investigations, analysis, features, and columns….
SUBSCRIBE
Just weeks after the UK agreed to scrap tariffs on US ethanol imports as part of the US-UK trade deal - a decision that could potentially force British producers to shut down - a whistleblower is challenging the integrity of the sustainability certification process for US corn ethanol exported to the UK under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation.
In the UK, bioethanol is primarily used as a fuel additive for petrol, specifically in E5 and E10 blends, and corn bioethanol, imported from the US made up around 11% of all biofuels used here in 2024, according to UK Government statistics.
The US imports were certified as sustainable under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) system which, according to its website, is one of the world's largest certifiers of liquid biofuels.
An ex-auditor who worked directly for a Certification Body (CB) responsible for ISCC compliance in the US has shown Byline Times extensive documentation alleging widespread non-compliance and deliberate cover-ups.
'UK Energy Is on Trial - But You Probably Didn't Even Know'
Brits urged to listen to the plight of indigenous people, whose environments have been destroyed by fossil fuel companies, as 'one day it will be you'
Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia
The former auditor, who declined to be named, first complained to the ISCC in December 2022, and, to date, is still waiting for a reply notifying him of the outcome. His last request for an update, on 31 July 2024, was not acknowledged.
Principle Two of the ISCC framework mandates "environmentally responsible production to protect soil, water and air".
During audits, however, the whistleblower routinely found significant violations of the standards required for certification, including improper and excessive fertiliser use, disregard for runoff risks, and a lack of any understanding of ISCC criteria among farmers.
The whistleblower alleges that, over a span of seven years, no instances of non-compliance were raised with farmers and attempts to do so were met with resistance not only from ethanol producers and grain storage facilities, but from the CB. He also accuses senior CB leadership of setting up a system of non-enforcement.
According to the whistleblower, ethanol manufacturers understand ISCC requirements, but by controlling upstream supply chains and paying for certifications, they ensure that their ethanol is exported to the EU and UK under the guise of sustainability.
"These guys want to sell their bioethanol to Europe, and they don't really care if it's sustainable or not, just that they can get it over there," he told Byline Times.
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Chris Packham was joined by more than 150 scientists in a demonstration urging Westminster to start listening to the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change
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The whistleblower claims that the grain storage hubs, which collect corn from multiple farms, often tried to influence the audits by flooding the meetings with their representatives creating an intimidating and obstructive environment. The whistleblower also described being followed, and monitored, during audits, undermining the independence of the process.
Farmers, he said, had no knowledge of ISCC certification standards before their first audit and were not given any practical guidance on how to meet sustainability requirements.
"So it was just luck if any farm passed the audit," he claimed.
The whistleblower maintains that the ethanol manufacturers' enormous demand for corn, and their fear that producers will take their business elsewhere, created a wides...
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