About ProBioTracker
ProBioTracker is being developed by EY’s (Ernst & Young Accountants LLP) Climate Change & Sustainability Services with the purpose to help facilitate the transition to and enhance the uptake of more bio-based feedstock. As per today, chemical companies face the situation that petro-based and bio-based materials are mixed in the chemical supply chain, hence making it impossible to trace and manage bio-based feedstock. As companies would like to pro-actively procure bio-based feedstock and make environmental claims correspondingly, we developed ProBioTracker to resolve this issue.
ProBioTracker uses a mass balance approach, following the bio-based base material through the supply chain. For every unit of bio-based base material, virtual certificates are created and passed along the supply chain together with the shipped amounts of (intermediate) material. Certificates cannot be handed over separately; they always go along with the shipment of physical product from one company to the next one in the supply chain. Based on mass balance calculations and the chemical characteristics of the successive intermediate materials in the supply chain, the bio-based feedstock can be followed and claimed by the different participating parties. The system prevents double claiming of bio-based origin and helps companies in the supply chain to source more proactively, keep track of their self-determined targets for bio-based sourcing and to report on their results supporting their environmental claims. The system is also able to support other claims such as identity preserved as well-as segregated supply chains.
At this stage we are piloting the system in the epichlorohydrine supply chain. Epichlorohydrine is used in the production of epoxies, paints and coating but also for the production of synthetic rubbers. Other supply chains can be configured in the system parallel to this first operational one. Important to know is that when a supply chain is brought forward to join ProBioTracker, the bio-based origin including the environmental claim connected with it (for instance CO2-reduction), the origin and claim must be backed up by a product environmental footprint or LCA and being certified by an entitled party or body.