StandardsJun 2, 2026

Ecostrat & BDO Zone Initiative welcome ASTM–CSA collaboration on binational bioeconomy standards

TORONTO, June 2, 2026, Following the recent announcement by CSA Group and ASTM International that the organizations have signed a formal agreement to jointly develop two binational bioeconomy standards, Ecostrat and the BDO Zone Initiative welcomed the development as an important milestone for North America’s emerging bioeconomy.

The two joint ASTM-CSA standards are expected to undergo public review in Fall 2026, with final publication anticipated in early 2027.

The Biomass Supply Chain Risk (BSCR) Standard builds on CSA W209:21 Biomass Supply Chain Risk, Canada’s National Standard for biomass feedstock risk assessment. The BDO Zone Assessment Standard builds on CSA TS-005:25 BDO Zone Assessment, the technical framework used to evaluate regional biomanufacturing readiness and underpin BDO Zone ratings across North America.

Both frameworks were originally published by CSA Group and have been increasingly adopted across the bioeconomy as standardized approaches for evaluating biomass supply-chain risk and regional project-development readiness. Through the new partnership with ASTM International, whose standards are used in more than 150 countries, the frameworks are now positioned for broader adoption across North America and internationally.

Ecostrat led the early development of both standardized frameworks. More than eight years ago, Ecostrat and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) collaborated on the development of an early industry Biomass Supply Chain Risk (BSCR) framework designed to support more standardized assessment of biomass supply-chain risk for project developers, lenders, and investors. The work for Canada was later supported by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and was later formalized as CSA W209:21 and subsequently expanded into CSA TS-005:25: the BDO Zone Assessment framework used to evaluate regional biomanufacturing readiness and underpin BDO Zone ratings today.

“The development of binational ASTM-CSA standards for Biomass Supply Chain Risk and BDO Zone Assessment represents an important step toward broader adoption of standardized biomass supply-chain and regional readiness assessments by capital markets, governments, and rural economic development organizations,” said Jordan Solomon, President of Ecostrat and Chairman of the BDO Zone Initiative. “As these frameworks gain wider institutional recognition across North America, we expect them to accelerate project financing, improve investor confidence, support stronger rural economic development efforts, and enable faster deployment of biofuel, renewable chemical, biogas, and other biomanufacturing projects. We want to recognize the leadership shown by CSA Group and ASTM International in bringing together leading U.S. and Canadian standards organizations to strengthen the institutional foundations of the global bioeconomy.”

“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to collaborate with CSA Group. Given our many shared interests, we are optimistic that this marks the start of a strong and ongoing partnership,” stated Daniel Smith, Vice President, Technical Committee Operations, ASTM International.

“As we advance the bioeconomy through standards, CSA Group is pleased to collaborate with ASTM International to support more consistent approaches to biomass supply chain risk and regional readiness assessment at an international scale,” said Michael Leering, Director of Environment & Business Excellence at CSA Group.

The timing is particularly significant for the BDO Zone Initiative, which has now established 63 BDO Zones across North America. As the ASTM-CSA standards process advances, BDO Zone ratings are expected to carry even greater credibility with lenders, investors, project developers, and economic development organizations evaluating bio-based manufacturing opportunities.

The BDO Zone Initiative is a certification and regional biomass supply chain rating program that gives economic development bodies the tools to rapidly accelerate biobased project development. A BDO Zone rating is a technical risk assessment of biomass feedstock, supply chain, and infrastructure attributes of a region with respect to the feasibility and development potential of new biofuel, renewable chemical, biogas, or bioproduct manufacturing plants.

For more information, visit the links below:

View CSA W209:21 CSA W209:21 Biomass Supply Chain Risk
View CSA TS-005:25 CSA TS-005:25 BDO Zone Assessment
Explore BDO Zone ratings across North America

Get a BDO Zone Rating

About Ecostrat

Ecostrat is the North American leader in biomass supply chain advisory and due diligence services for biofuels, renewable chemicals, biogas, and bio-product project development and finance. Founded on the belief that reliable feedstock data is the foundation of successful bio-project investment, Ecostrat works with developers, lenders, and investors to quantify and manage feedstock risk across the project lifecycle. Ecostrat is the originating organization behind the BSCR framework and a founding partner of the BDO Zone Initiative. For more information, visit www.ecostrat.com.

About The BDO Zone Initiative

The Biofuel Development Opportunity (BDO) Zone Initiative certifies ‘regional readiness’ for bio-manufacturing, creates global connections and ignites an influx of new energy opportunities for farmers, economic developers, and rural businesses. A BDO Zone rating is an internationally recognized, standards-based technical risk assessment of a region’s feedstock, supply chain, and infrastructure risk with respect to the development potential for new biofuel plants. BDO Zone ratings are precise targets for bio-project siting for bio-project development. Investment grade ratings are force-multipliers for attracting new manufacturing plants to the areas where they are most likely to succeed, drive investment and create jobs.

For more information on the BDO Zone Initiative, contact info@bdozone.org. To view all BDO Zone ratings, visit www.bdozone.org. Check out the BDO Zone LinkedIn page for news and updates.

Jordan Solomon is Chairman of the BDO Zone Initiative and President of Ecostrat (www.ecostrat.com). He can be reached at jordan.solomon@ecostrat.com.

Originally published at bdozone.org.