About IBRA

The International Biomass Rating Agency (IBRA) is a global online platform and licensee network that enables the development and deployment of Biofuel Development Opportunity (BDO) Zone ratings worldwide. IBRA supports global licensees for Ecostrat’s BDO Zone rating IP with a robust ecosystem of technology and commercialization services to mitigate risk and accelerate project development in BDO Zones.

Why IBRA?

IBRA establishes essential market infrastructure through BDO Zone ratings and other market-based instruments. We enable market transparency and maturation necessary for global scale and deployment of sustainable bioenergy solutions.

Our standardized ratings frameworks enable credible opinions of regional readiness for biomanufacturing that are recognized by project developers globally. By credibly signaling previously opaque biomass feedstock and infrastructure risks, they enable more rapid and informed investment decisions across the bioeconomy, for project developers, investors and governments.

Our Values

Market based-solutions

While government has a strong role to play in supporting the sustainable utilization of biomass, market-based solutions are essential to catalyzing the rapid development of the global bioeconomy. We believe they can supercharge and support government policy in this sector. Our assessment frameworks are designed to remove market inefficiencies that impede the massive buildout required to support global decarbonization objectives.

Decarbonization and job creation

We believe that the bioenergy transition can be an engine for job creation around the world—especially in rural areas and in disadvantaged communities.

Resource Integrity

We uphold rigorous sustainability standards in our evaluation methodologies. Our rating protocols assess both short and long-term biomass availability to ensure projects support ecological systems rather than compromise them.

Super-rapid Scale

We believe that with the right market-based solutions, we can achieve the massive build-out of bioenergy, biofuel, renewable chemical and biogas sectors that is essential for rapid decarbonization– specifically to keep global average surface temperatures below a 1.5°C benchmark.

Evidence-Based Rigor

We ground our ratings in empirical data and scientific consensus. Our rating determinations follow systematic, replicable processes that withstand scrutiny and maintain consistency across diverse contexts.

Continuous Refinement

We regularly review and enhance our methodologies to incorporate emerging science, market developments, and stakeholder feedback. This ensures our ratings maintain relevance in a rapidly evolving sector.

How we have evolved

The BDO Zone Initiative first launched in late 2020 with the first-ever rating issued for the City of Melville, SK for wheat-straw. The following year, 6 BDO Zones were issued in North America. As of December 2024, over 60 BDO Zone ratings have been issued (or are in process) in North America. BDO Zone ratings range from various feedstock types (wheat straw, corn stover, MSW, woody biomass, poultry litter, almond/orchard biomass, etc.) across various geographic locations, however are all based upon the same credible, transparent, standardized framework: The Biomass Supply Chain Risk Standards (BSCR).

Per the BDO Zone Initiative’s 2024 Annual Report, key metrics include:

  • 358% increase in BDO Zone ratings issued or in process versus 2023
  • 69% increase in inbound inquiries from project developers, on average
  • Promoted to 6.3 million industry project developers, investors, and sector stakeholders worldwide
  • Of the 61 BDO Zones, 19 of these are currently in discussions with 30 biomanufacturing projects

Our Business Model

IBRA operates under an issuer-pays model, whereby rating fees are charged to the BDO Zone Issuer requesting the regional assessment. This model facilitates broad market access by enabling public distribution of ratings without subscription barriers, ensuring widespread scrutiny from investors, developers, government entities, and industry participants. The issuer-pays structure provides rating analysts with direct access to proprietary regional data, infrastructure assessments, and biomass supply chain information that would otherwise remain unavailable, thereby enhancing the depth and accuracy of the zone risk evaluation.