As companies adopt greener fuels and materials, being able to demonstrate the origins and sustainability of products has become more critical. Making sustainability claims alone isn't enough – organizations need robust documentation and data showing the source of the materials and how they are tracked through the supply chain, along with the verifiability of these claims.
This is where ISCC certification plays an important role.
If you use renewables, bio-based, or otherwise sustainable feedstocks in your operations, then preparing for ISCC certification could mean you will have to maintain a lot of documentation, tracking the movement of material and documenting in a manner consistent across all suppliers and facilities.
The challenge is not just collecting these documents. It is making sure they match, quantities reconcile, and every important figure can be traced back to its source.
Understanding how traceability and mass balance work can help businesses manage this process more effectively.
What is ISCC Certification?
ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) is a global certification system covering sustainability, traceability, and chain-of-custody requirements across agricultural, forestry, waste-based, bio-based, and circular supply chains. ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) is a global certification system covering sustainability, traceability, and chain-of-custody requirements across agricultural, forestry, waste-based, bio-based, and circular supply chains.
ISCC offers several schemes for different markets. ISCC EU supports compliance with European renewable energy requirements, while ISCC PLUS covers a broader range of markets involving bio-based and circular materials. ISCC CORSIA is an ICAO-approved scheme that certifies sustainable aviation fuels against the CORSIA sustainability criteria. ISCC offers several schemes for different markets. ISCC EU supports compliance with European renewable energy requirements, while ISCC PLUS covers a broader range of markets involving bio-based and circular materials. ISCC CORSIA is an ICAO-approved scheme that certifies sustainable aviation fuels against the CORSIA sustainability criteria.
The right scheme depends on the products a company trades, its activities, and its marketplace.
Regardless of the requirements, traceability is an important part of the process. Businesses keep diligent records that track the source of material as well as its progression through the supply chain.
These records include supplier information, delivery documents, inventory records, sustainability declarations, and other supporting evidence. Systematically maintaining these records enables companies to be ready for verification and to show that their records back up their sustainability declarations.
Why Traceability Matters in ISCC?
Suppose there was a company that bought feedstock from multiple producers, sold that same feedstock to multiple customers after some processing, and created documents (such as deliveries, scale tickets, inventory, processing records, and sustainability declarations) at each stage.
These reports should form a cohesive narrative.
If a quantity reported is different from that in the delivery document or the team is unable to associate a sustainability declaration with the activity, the team has to invest time to look into the matter. When data is entered into multiple files and systems, it is difficult to determine the source.
ISCC traceability provides companies with the ability to connect the material flow to the accompanying data. It enables the tracing of record data along the supply chain, from the source to processing, storage, trade, and delivery.
Good traceability also facilitates answering questions during an audit: "Where did the material come from? How much was received? What records show the transaction? How was the material accounted for?"
For a closer look at what auditors check, read the guide to ISCC certification audits, traceability, mass balance, and GHG calculations.
The more straightforward the questions are to answer, the simpler it is for a team to audit its records and locate gaps in those records before an audit occurs.
Understanding Mass Balance
Mass balance is a core part of the ISCC scheme. It allows sustainable and non-sustainable materials to be physically mixed, as long as the sustainability characteristics of each incoming delivery are recorded separately and tracked through the system. Over a defined reporting period and site boundary, a company can only claim as much sustainable output as its sustainable input supports, after accounting for conversion factors and process losses. Under ISCC EU, for example, the mass balance is kept separately for each site and typically covers a period of three months.
In practice, a business needs to know how much sustainable material entered its system, how much was used or lost during processing, how much remains in stock, and how much was shipped out with a sustainability claim.
For example, if a facility receives three feedstock deliveries during the reporting period, each delivery’s quantity and sustainability characteristics must be recorded alongside stock changes, process losses, and outgoing deliveries. At the end of the period, the sustainable quantities claimed on outgoing deliveries must not exceed what the incoming sustainable material supports.
This becomes more complex when a business handles multiple materials, suppliers, facilities, or reporting periods. A single missing transaction, incorrect quantity, or outdated document can throw off the reconciliation.
That is why a clear mass balance is about more than calculating totals. Businesses also need to know where each figure came from and be able to back it up with the right records.
Common Challenges During ISCC Audit Preparation
Having files and data in multiple locations can make getting ready for an ISCC audit tough.
Scattered documents: Searching through various locations for bills of lading, scale tickets, and sustainability declarations can be time-consuming.
Mismatched records: Delivery quantities may not match the figures recorded in the mass balance.
Lack of data: Teams might not be able to link the reported figures to their supporting documentation.
Untracked changes: When records or documents are updated without a clear history, it can be hard to tell what changed and why
How Rimba AI Supports ISCC Traceability and Mass Balance?
Rimba AI enables businesses to connect source documents, material movements, mass balances, and sustainability documentation into a single workflow.
Bring source documents into one workflow
Rimba supports document workflows involving bills of lading, scale tickets, contracts, sustainability declarations, and other operational records. Teams can work with files in formats including PDF, Excel, CSV, Word, and images.
Reconcile records and find anomalies
Rimba helps cross-check records against source documents and reconcile incoming and outgoing material movements with the mass balance. Potential issues, such as missing supporting documents, mismatched records, duplicate claims, and unsupported declarations, can be identified.
Keep a traceable mass balance
Mass balance records need to reflect the relevant inventory, receipts, material usage, losses, and closing quantities. Rimba connects these records with the supporting evidence and allows users to export mass balance reports to Excel with formulas.
Prepare sustainability documentation from connected data
Rimba populates ISCC template fields using reconciled records and connects individual fields to the supporting documents. Teams can generate and update sustainability declarations while retaining supporting evidence and revision history.
Explore Rimba's ISCC traceability and mass balance capabilities to see how these workflows fit together.
Make ISCC Audit Preparation Easier
Keeping source documents, mass balance records, and sustainability information connected helps businesses identify discrepancies and prepare for audits more efficiently. Rimba AI brings these records together, making it easier to trace figures back to their supporting evidence and prepare scheme documents.
Contact us to learn how Rimba AI can support your ISCC documentation and audit preparation.
Frequently Asked Questions About ISCC Certification
What is ISCC certification?
ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) supports sustainability, traceability, and chain-of-custody requirements across supply chains. Different ISCC schemes apply to different markets and materials, including renewable fuels and bio-based or circular materials.
What is mass balance in ISCC certification?
Mass balance is a chain-of-custody method that allows sustainable and non-sustainable materials to be physically mixed while their sustainability characteristics are tracked separately in the records. Within a defined site boundary and reporting period, businesses account for the quantity and sustainability characteristics of material entering and leaving their system, so that the sustainable output they claim never exceeds the sustainable input they received.
How does traceability work in ISCC?
ISCC traceability connects materials with records documenting their origin, movement, processing, storage, and delivery. Supporting documents, such as bills of lading, scale tickets, and sustainability declarations, help businesses verify material movements throughout the supply chain.
How can businesses prepare for an ISCC audit?
Businesses can prepare by organizing source documents, reconciling incoming and outgoing material quantities, checking sustainability records, identifying missing evidence, and ensuring reported figures can be traced to their sources.
How can companies simplify ISCC mass balance reconciliation?
Companies can simplify reconciliation by bringing material records and supporting documents into a consistent workflow. Tools that cross-check records, flag discrepancies, and connect mass balance figures to source evidence can reduce manual checking and make reviews easier.