The Better Biomass Board of Experts has decided to no longer accept Guarantees of Origin (GOs) as official transaction documents for biomethane. This measure applies to all biomethane with a production date from January 1, 2026. Traders and producers within the Better Biomass scheme must now use a specific transaction document from the certification scheme itself.
The decision, which was widely communicated to the market in February, has direct consequences for the administrative handling of green gas transactions in the Netherlands. Until recently, Guarantees of Origin (GOs) were used within the Better Biomass system to demonstrate the transfer of sustainability characteristics within the supply chain. According to the new guidelines, these documents are no longer sufficient to demonstrate the sustainability of the physical flow within this specific scheme.
Administrative separation
The change stems from the need to more clearly distinguish between the commercial trading of guarantees and the physical demonstration of sustainability under the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III). By requiring a separate Better Biomass transaction document, the scheme administrator aims to strengthen control over the mass balance. This should prevent ambiguity about which sustainability claims are linked to specific volumes of biomethane.
For market participants, this means an increased administrative burden. While the GvO often served as the central proof of origin for both origin and sustainability, these two streams now need to be explicitly documented separately. This requires adjustments in the administrative chain for producers, traders, and suppliers operating under the Better Biomass certificate.
Implementation and transition
Although the decision was formally published on February 10, its implementation took full effect at the end of February. The Board of Experts emphasizes that the measure is necessary to safeguard the integrity of the certification scheme in an increasingly complex European green gas market. Parties trading biomethane produced after January 1, 2026, must immediately supplement their dossiers with the required Better Biomass documentation to continue to meet the certification requirements.
Photo: ShDrohnenFly, Adobe Stock
