The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order 2007

Article 2(1)

[F1 SCHEDULE 2 U.K. Land criteria

Textual Amendments

F1 Schs. 2, 3 inserted (1.1.2022) by The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (Amendment) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1420), arts. 1, 14 (with art. 16)

Meeting the land criteria U.K.

1.   A relevant feedstock meets the land criteria if the renewable transport fuel supplier provides evidence, by reference to the guidance published by the Administrator under article 15(1)(m), that satisfies the Administrator that the relevant feedstock was not obtained from land of a description falling within paragraphs 2 to 4, subject to the exceptions set out in those paragraphs.

Prohibited land categories U.K.

2.   Land with a high biodiversity value that had one of the following statuses in or after January 2008, whether or not the land continues to have that status—

(a) primary forest or other wooded land of native species, where there is no clearly visible indication of human activity and the ecological processes are not significantly disturbed;

(b) land not falling within sub-paragraph (a) which is, or which has been identified as, highly biodiverse forest or other wooded land that is species-rich and not degraded, unless—

(i) the land is designated for nature protection purposes; and

(ii) evidence is provided that satisfies the Administrator that the production of the relevant feedstock did not interfere with the purposes for which the land is designated for nature protection purposes;

(c) land not falling within sub-paragraphs (a) or (b) which is designated for nature protection purposes, including for the protection of rare, threatened or endangered ecosystems or species, unless evidence is provided that satisfies the Administrator that the production of the relevant feedstock did not interfere with the purposes for which the land is designated for nature protection purposes;

(d) highly biodiverse grassland spanning more than one hectare that is—

(i) natural grassland that would remain as grassland and that maintains its natural species composition and ecological characteristics and processes in the absence of human intervention; or

(ii) non-natural grassland that would cease to be grassland in the absence of human intervention and that is species-rich and not degraded and which has been identified as being highly biodiverse, unless evidence is provided that satisfies the Administrator that the harvesting of the raw material is necessary to preserve its status as highly biodiverse grassland.

3.— (1) Land with high-carbon stock that had one of the following statuses at any time in January 2008 and which no longer has that status—

(a) wetlands, where the land is covered with, or saturated by, water permanently or for a significant part of the year;

(b) continuously forested areas spanning more than one hectare with trees higher than five metres and a canopy cover of more than 30%, or trees able to reach those thresholds in situ;

(c) land spanning more than one hectare with trees higher than five metres and a canopy cover of between 10% and 30%, or trees able to reach those thresholds in situ, unless evidence is provided that satisfies the Administrator that the GHG emission saving from the use of the renewable transport fuel concerned is equal to or greater than the minimum GHG emission saving applicable to the fuel at the time when it is used, as set out in Schedule 1.

(2) But this paragraph does not apply if, at the time the relevant feedstock was harvested, the land concerned had the same status as it had in January 2008.

4.   Land that was peatland at any time in January 2008, unless evidence is provided that satisfies the Administrator that the cultivation and harvesting of the raw material concerned did not involve drainage of previously undrained soil.]