RSB Intro to Feedback Mechanisms
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Bioenergy > Sustainability standards > Initiatives > Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) > RSB comments process > RSB Intro to Feedback Mechanisms
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Secretariat webpage | Steering Board | |
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| Sustainability Criteria: | Global principles for sustainable biofuels production (2nd version) October 23, 2007 | |
| Working groups | GHG - Greenhouse gas lifecycle efficiency analysis ENV - Environmental impacts SOC - Social impacts IMP - Implementation | |
| Current debates: | Land Use and GHG- GHG emissions from indirect land use changes Soil Management Water Management Air quality Biodiversity Offsets. | |
| Documents: | -RSB launch press release -RSB Flyer (pdf) -RSB Intro to Feedback Mechanisms -Commenting on RSB Drafts Using the BioenergyWiki (PDF File) -RSB Draft Principles - June 5, 2007 (PDF File) | |
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Feedback mechanisms
The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) is committed to an open, transparent review of draft standards (principles, criteria, and indicators) for sustainable biofuels, using the ISEAL Code of Good Practice for Standard-Setting. To collect feedback, we’ll use a combination of Working Group teleconferences, regional stakeholder meetings, and collecting comments sent directly to us. But we’re hoping that many stakeholders will choose to give feedback via a high-tech yet simple, transparent and flexible mechanism – the Bioenergy Wiki.
Why are we excited about the Bioenergy Wiki?
It’s a knowledge bank. Concerns about the social and environmental impacts of biofuels production are only just now entering the mainstream, and many people new to the field are struggling to understand what is an extremely complex web of interactions. The Wiki has lots of background information, organized by subject, so that you can get up to speed on the opportunities and threats of biofuels production.
You can share your opinions with others. The Wiki allows you to comment on the draft RSB principles and criteria, or even on other people’s comments. If your view hasn’t been expressed yet, it’s important that you add it so that others are exposed to your best thinking. The RSB Secretariat will summarize all of these comments for the Working Group and Steering Board discussions.
You can change the text of proposed standards. If you think a principle could be worded better, or if an important element is left out of a criterion, you can change the text yourself! But of course someone else could change it again, so remember to comment so that others understand why you made the change you did. On the ‘history’ page, you can see the comments and edits that came before. The RSB Secretariat will be watching this history page to see if there are hot topics with lots of changes back and forth – we can spin these out into a deeper discussion session, or invite an expert to give his or her opinion.
It’s continuously updated. Technology and scientific understanding move fast in biofuels time, and what may have been accepted wisdom about a particular crop last week may be refuted tomorrow. The Wiki is a living document, so it can constantly be updated with the latest information.
The Wiki works best if you are contributing actively. On the main informational pages, if you read something you know is wrong, change the text! (But remember to identify your sources). On the Roundtable’s draft standards pages, make comments, or suggest further reading, or change the wording. We hope that this will be a way for everyone to hear others’ opinions and best inform their own. It’s not the only way we’ll collect feedback from stakeholders – the fact that you need to read and write English and have Internet access limits many stakeholders from participating, which is why the regional meetings and teleconferences will also be invaluable. But for sharing information and opinions globally, it can’t be beat. We hope you participate!
