More than two decades of expertise in sustainable biomass certification
Since 2002, Green Gold Label has been developing and maintaining certification standards that enable organisations to demonstrate sustainability, traceability and responsible sourcing throughout biomass supply chains.
For more than 20 years, GGL has worked with stakeholders to develop and maintain strict yet practical certification standards for sustainable biomass. Our team brings together extensive expertise in sustainability, certification and assurance.
Our Story
Rotterdam, NL
Where the chain beginsGreen Gold Label was established in 2002, at a time when the use of biomass for renewable energy was expanding, and the need for credible sustainability assurance was becoming increasingly important.
Since then, GGL has evolved alongside the market, continuously developing its certification scheme to reflect new scientific insights, regulatory developments and stakeholder expectations.
Today, GGL supports sustainable biomass supply chains across international markets through a certification system built on traceability, independent verification and practical implementation.
What We Do
Develop certification standards
Maintain scheme documentation
Manage governance
Support Certification Bodies
Facilitate stakeholder consultation
Maintain GGLedger
Drive continuous improvement
Developing the standards. Safeguarding its integrity.
Green Gold Label is the independent foundation behind the GGL certification scheme. Its structure ensures the highest standards of integrity and objectivity and is published with full transparency.
We develop and maintain the certification standards that enable organisations to demonstrate the sustainability and traceability of biomass across the supply chain. Working closely with Certification Bodies, accreditation bodies, market participants and other stakeholders, we continuously improve the scheme to reflect evolving legislation, scientific insights and market needs.
While GGL is responsible for the governance and development of the certification scheme, certification itself is carried out by independent Certification Bodies. This separation of responsibilities safeguards impartiality and strengthens confidence in every certificate issued.
GGL Foundation
Develops • Governs • Improves the scheme
Accreditation Bodies
Certification Bodies
Stakeholders & Technical Experts
GGL Participants
Sustainable Biomass
Traceable from Origin to Energy
How We Work
GGL develops the scheme.
Independent Certification Bodies audit organisations.
Accreditation Bodies oversee Certification Bodies.
GGL provides governance, supervision and continuous improvement.
Collaboration
The development of the GGL certification scheme is guided by continuous engagement with certification bodies, biomass producers, first collectors, traders, energy companies, governments, accreditation bodies, technical experts and civil society.
Their experience and feedback help ensure that the scheme remains practical, credible and responsive to changing market needs.
Looking ahead
As global biomass supply chains continue to evolve, GGL will continue to develop certification standards that enhance transparency, support market confidence and contribute to a sustainable energy transition.
Its proprietary GGLedger™ platform enables GGL to track sustainability data from the most upstream points in supply chains.
Board and Programme Management
Kees Boon (1952) received his forestry training in Arnhem on the HBCS in 1970-1974. In his working life he served in Surinam, Indonesia and Netherlands and travelled in several countries. In Surinam he started his career with the National Forest Service on a reforestation project in the interior tropical rainforest. In the Netherlands he was involved in the design, planting and management of the forests in the newly developed polders in the Lake Ijsselmeer. On the Indonesian island Java he acted as forest specialist in a combined Indonesian-Dutch team for a rural development project aiming a reducing impact of the local population on the remaining mountainous forest to prevent further erosion. After having served the marketing and round wood sales dept. of the Dutch national Forest Service he stepped over to the private sector in 1992 in the capacity of chairman of 2 branch organizations. One representing entrepreneurs in round wood trade and the other representing entrepreneurs in the wood preservation industry. In 2008 he established the sustainable forest management certification scheme PEFC in the Netherlands. Kees has a good understanding of the policy making on national and EU level and has a good understanding of forestry practices in various countries.
Paul Jacob Bins (1971) also known as "PJ", has been instrumental in scaling Green Gold Label since 2016, guiding its growth from an early certification scheme into a globally recognized platform for verifying the sustainability of biomass. As former Chairman of the Foundation (2017-2021) and now Member of its Board, he is committed to maintaining the integrity and independence of GGL's governance. Paul Jacob plays a leading role in negotiations with the Dutch and Japanese governments and engages directly with the European Commission to align GGL with evolving sustainability regulations. He brings deep expertise in biomass certification and greenhouse gas emission regulations, with hands-on involvement in technical standard-setting for sustainability, market modularization across Europe and Asia, and the design of GGL's full chain-of-custody and traceability models. Beyond bioenergy, PJ's broader focus lies in the decarbonization of global shipping, a complex, hard-to-abate sector increasingly linked to bio-based and renewable fuels, ISO14065-accredited certification of GHG emissions and verification protocols of water discharges. Over the past 20 years, he has successfully led and scaled multiple ventures in certification, maritime and offshore services, including Vessel Performance Centre, VesselIQ, and DecomPartners. Earlier in his career, he was a McKinsey consultant specializing in energy production and CEO of Euroports and APM Terminals (AP Møller-Mærsk Group) businesses in Western Europe. PJ is a Dutch national, married, and father of two daughters.
Judith Mathijssen is responsible for the development, implementation and continuous improvement of the certification scheme for sustainable biomass. She brings over 20 years' experience in ESG and impact management, assurance systems, and international programme governance, gained across the private (i.a. Rand Europe, Ecorys, Lendahand), and public sectors (i.a. EC, World Bank, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in her roles as international development consultant and Impact Manager. At GGL, Judith leads alignment of the certification scheme with FIT/FIP and related implementing regulations. She oversees certification requirements, verification protocols and risk-based compliance mechanisms across the biomass supply chain. She manages the global network of independent certification bodies, ensuring consistent interpretation and application of regulatory and GHG criteria, and strengthens audit quality through guidance, training and oversight. Judith has extensive experience in designing and operationalising ESG and sustainability frameworks, including monitoring, reporting and verification systems aligned with international standards. Previously, as Impact Manager at Lendahand and as an independent consultant, she has led the development and implementation of impact and ESG policies, monitoring frameworks, and reporting processes, with a strong focus on data quality, auditability, and transparency. She combines strong programme governance with hands-on experience in building and scaling systems and organisations. She has contributed to the development of regulated financial platforms, including alignment with EU regulatory frameworks, and has led stakeholder engagement with public- and private-sector actors. Her sector expertise includes renewable energy, agriculture, impact investing and health systems, with extensive experience in emerging markets and complex value chains.
Jaap Versteegh advises on and develops software for solving engineering problems and communicate with sensors and hardware in order to facilitate progress and innovation. Within the GGL Programme Management Office, Jaap is responsible for all IT-related matters including the digital transaction system GGLedger launched in 2025. He has 30 years of experience in software development and IT in the engineering and in other fields. His own company Orca Software that provides software development and IT services to several clients. Orca Software developed a software platform for Damen Shipyards, managed OT software security for ECT and developed a digital twin for VesselIQ. He is a self-employed technical software engineer with an education in engineering and more than twenty years of programming experience with Python, C++, C and Delphi on Linux, MS Windows and embedded environments. His experience with development tools like git and subversion and databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL facilitate multi-disciplinary teams to cooperate effectively. He has worked with various API's and frameworks and libraries like Boost, Qt etc. and has a working knowledge of Fortran, PHP, C#, Java and javascript. His interests include anything maritime, physics, (flow) simulation and artificial intelligence, but are in no way limited to that. Specialties: Engineering Software, Scientific Computing, Linking with hardware.
Carina brings over 20 years of experience in sustainability, land-use change and responsible biomass supply chains. With a PhD in tropical land-use change from Utrecht University, she combines scientific expertise with practical experience in developing sustainable solutions for complex environmental challenges. At Green Gold Label, Carina contributes to the ongoing development of the certification scheme, helping ensure that GGL's standards remain scientifically robust, practical to implement and responsive to evolving sustainability and regulatory requirements. She works closely with stakeholders to strengthen the integrity and continuous improvement of the scheme. Carina is passionate about translating scientific knowledge into practical solutions that support sustainable biomass supply chains and informed decision-making.
Harm van Esterik (1968) has joined Green Gold Label bringing broad financial and general management acumen. Harm has over two decades of international leadership experience, with a strong focus on commercial strategy, organizational development and sustainable value chains. He brings a proven track record in scaling businesses and driving transformation within the food, beverage and consumer goods sectors. As Managing Director of de Smaakspecialist, he is responsible for the company's strategic direction and its role in advancing organic and sustainable food supply chains across Europe. He is closely involved in strengthening transparency, quality standards and market access for certified sustainable products, contributing to the broader transition towards responsible sourcing and consumption. Prior to this, Harm built an extensive international career at AB InBev, where he held several senior leadership positions, including Managing Director roles in the Netherlands and Germany. In these roles, he was responsible for commercial performance, market development and leading large-scale operations in complex and highly regulated environments. Harm combines strong analytical capabilities with a pragmatic and people-oriented leadership style. He has significant experience in building high-performing organizations, implementing strategic change and delivering sustainable business results in international markets. Harm is a Dutch national, married and father of two daughters and a son.
Advisory Council
Eric van den Heuvel, partner at 'studio Gear Up', is a senior expert in the field of sustainable energy, with a focus on business strategy and innovation on biomass and waste/residues for energy and alternative transport fuels (for road, shipping and aviation). He has nearly thirty years of strategic consultancy and management experience. Trained to be evidence-based, he likes to analyse and tackle complex issues, as a 'fact-ivist', in the broader context of social, environmental, technological, and economic perspectives. In 2015 he founded studio Gear Up, an independent firm supporting national and international companies, institutions and government organisations in the transition to a low carbon economy, by providing strategic advice, process and project management services and guiding and facilitating stakeholder involvement processes. Furthermore, the studio develops own concepts in the field of biomass resources, biofuels, alternative fuels and the circular economy. He graduated at Eindhoven University of Technology on Technology & Innovation Management and further holds a University of Oxford, Saïd Business School Post-Graduate Diploma on Strategy and Innovation.
André Faaij is appointed as Director of Science of ECN part of TNO, the largest energy research organisation of the Netherlands (Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands and the energy division of TNO the Netherlands Organisation for applied scientific research). He focuses on strategy, large research initiatives and collaboration with academia. He combines this position with a part time chair as Distinguished Professor Energy System Analysis at the University of Groningen (RUG). Prior to this position he was Chief Scientist of the New Energy Coalition (including the Energy Academy Europe), Distinguished Professor at RUG and until 2014, he was appointed as Professor and scientific director of the Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development of Utrecht University. He worked and works as an advisor for governments, the EC, IEA, the UN system, GEF, OECD, WEF, WEC, the energy sector & industry and NGO's. He contributed to various IPCC reports, the World and Global Energy Assessment and IEA's World Energy Outlook. Furthermore, he was appointed Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, awarded the Linneborn Prize for outstanding contributions to the development of energy from biomass and as one of many scientists of the IPCC; he was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He published over 600 titles in scientific journals, reports, books and proceedings, qualifies as 'highly cited researcher' (top 1% of research field) by criteria of Thomson Reuters ISI Web of Science and is frequently lecturing across the globe.
Noura Hanna is a committed and pragmatic sustainability leader with over 20 years' experience turning global standards into real-world impact for people and the planet. Currently Head of Payment for Ecosystem Services at Solidaridad, she designs market-driven, farmer-focused solutions that enhance ecosystem services and livelihoods. As Co-founder & COO of Carble, she developed a fintech model rewarding deforestation-free farming through traceability and incentives. With leadership roles at Rainforest Alliance, Sustainalytics, and global coalitions, Noura brings governance expertise, stakeholder trust-building, and a results-oriented approach aligned with GGL's mission.
Cris Mul, partner of Van Leer Energy B.V., is a business developer and supplier of responsible biomass originated from the global forestry industry and shipped to European power, heat and chemical industries. He holds a master degree in Mechatronics at faculty of Mechanical Engineering of Delft University of Technology and a master degree in Business in Energy Systems of Delft Toptech, School of Executive Education of Delft University of Technology.
Ilmari Lastikka is a seasoned Finnish executive with over two decades of leadership experience in public affairs, business development, sustainability, and renewable energy. He currently serves as Global Head of Policy and Regulatory Affairs at STX Group, where he leads global energy policy initiatives and regulatory strategies in the environmental commodities market and drives business development across affected energy sectors. Prior to joining STX, Mr Lastikka was Vice President at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (2018-2022), where he strengthened VTT's European networks with policymakers and advanced collaborative innovation in emerging technologies. From 2004 to 2018, he held key roles at Neste Corporation, including Head of EU Affairs, where he established and led Neste's Brussels liaison office, engaging with EU institutions to support the growth of Neste's renewable energy business. During this period, he played a pivotal role in developing sustainability certification schemes and cross-industry initiatives to ensure compliance with renewable energy legislation. Mr Lastikka has served on multiple boards and steering committees across the renewable energy, oil and gas, and transport sectors, contributing to strategic policy development and industry transformation. He holds a Master's degree in Environmental Engineering, International Business, and Corporate Strategy from Helsinki University of Technology. He is married and a proud father of two.