Market demands & regulatory readiness: lessons from the ISCC Regional Stakeholder Conference–Latin America
The ISCC Regional Stakeholder Committee – Latin America brought more than 80 regional and international stakeholders together to exchange perspectives on circular economy policy, alternative feedstocks, sustainable fuels and credible certification.
The conference opened with a welcoming address and introduction by Alejandra Rueda (NES Naturaleza & Co-Chair Committee ISCC Latin America) as well as Alonso Martinez Avalos (Styropek). Dr José Luis Samaniego Leyva (Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, SEMARNAT) opened the thematic programme with an overview of Mexico’s circular economy agenda. He underlined that Mexico’s latest Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) under the Paris Agreement sets ambitious climate targets and positions the circular economy as a key driver of emissions reduction. The General Circular Economy Law was presented as a central framework for transforming the country’s productive model by linking environmental and industrial policy, strengthening governance, providing regulatory certainty and reinforcing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
Dr Norbert Schmitz (Managing Director, ISCC System) then provided participants with the latest insights into the system’s progress and its relevance for stakeholders across Latin America. In his presentation, he highlighted how ISCC continues to evolve in response to changing regulatory and market demands, pointing to strong certification growth in Latin America, emerging opportunities in sustainable aviation and maritime fuels, as well as new tools designed to support EUDR compliance and regenerative agriculture overall.
Alternative feedstocks, sustainable fuels, and regional market momentum
The first block focused on market developments for alternative feedstocks and sustainable fuels. Following a session by Javier Arribas Quintana from the delegation of the European Union to Mexico on the EU sustainability framework, Dr Ilknur Celik Schoreels (Senior Technology Manager, GRAS) and Dr Katharina Heidrich (Senior System Manager, ISCC System) addressed how ISCC certification and risk management can support compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Their contribution highlighted the growing need for robust traceability, reliable data and credible verification as companies prepare for evolving European sustainability requirements.
Soon after, Israel Hurtado (Executive President, Mexican Hydrogen and Energy Transformation Association) presented the most recent updates on the state of clean hydrogen in Latin America. He described a rapidly expanding global hydrogen project landscape and emphasised the region’s investment potential, with Mexico well positioned to develop manufacturing capabilities around fuel-cell electric vehicles, hydrogen turbines, electrolysers, storage tanks, compressors and pipelines.
Emilio Valencia García (Environmental Coordinator, Mexican Civil Aviation Authority) continued with a detailed outline of Mexico’s regulatory and policy outlook for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). He described the role of the Agencia Federal de Aviacion Civil (AFAC) in CORSIA implementation and presented a national SAF roadmap covering laws, policy, regulation, and standards. His presentation emphasised that advancing SAF production in Mexico will depend on modernising the regulatory framework, understanding feedstock and infrastructure potential, and attracting coordinated support from government, industry, and investors.
Mélanie Astruc (Sustainable Aviation Fuel Project Director, Airbus) built on this perspective by explaining how certification can strengthen aviation’s credibility as SAF scales. At the same time, she underlined the role of certification in building not only trust and traceability across the SAF supply chain but also in helping projects demonstrate compliance and attract investors, thereby improving the bankability and credibility of SAF production.
The block concluded with a panel discussion under the title of “Unlocking Sustainable Aviation Fuel in Latin America: What Will It Take?”, which was moderated by Julia Carranza (Manager Industry Relationships Mexico, IATA) and featured Carlos Manuel Merino (Airports and Auxiliary Services, ASA Mexico) and Mélanie Astruc from Airbus. The discussion reflected the regional momentum around SAF while underlining the practical conditions needed to scale production, infrastructure, certification and market demand.
ISCC PLUS, circular materials and credible consumer communication
After lunch, the second block turned to ISCC PLUS for the circular economy and bioeconomy. Carlos Merida (System Manager, ISCC Germany) introduced the role of ISCC PLUS in supporting circular and bio-based value chains, setting the scene for a series of industry perspectives on regulation, renewable materials, traceability and credible claims.
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Get an overview of the voluntary certification scheme supporting companies in validating the sustainability characteristics of their alternative feedstocks.
Alonso Martinez Avalos (Sustainability & ESG Manager, Styropek) followed right after with Styropek’s approach to EPR for resins in the chemical sector. He laid out how regulation, climate targets and customer expectations are reshaping competitiveness and described Styropek’sinvestments in ISCC PLUS adoption and circular value chain partnerships. The company’s ambition to increase recycled or bio-based content in key applications by 2030 illustrates how circularity is becoming embedded in industrial strategy.
From the supplier perspective, Elan Watson (Sustainability Development Manager, LyondellBasell US/Mexico) addressed the importance of traceability, certification and market demand for circular materials. He explained how ISCC PLUS certification and mass balance can support credible traceability by allowing recycled or renewable feedstocks to be mixed with conventional materials while accurately attributing circular content to finished products. LyondellBasell’s circular and low-carbon product offerings, including Circulen Revive, were presented as drop-in solutions designed to maintain quality and performance while improving transparency across the value chain.
Anna Sullivan (System Manager – Logos, Claims, and Licensing, ISCC) concluded the overall presentation programme by showing how companies can communicate sustainability value credibly from supply chain to consumer trust. She introduced the ISCC Licensing Scheme for brand owners and explained how verified claims, tailored communication options, Licence Database transparency and third-party verification can help strengthen consumer confidence. Examples, including Barbie, STABILO, BRITA and Nutella, illustrated how ISCC-related communication can support credible differentiation in the market.
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Visit our Brand Owners page to find the right ISCC pathway for your company. Whether certification, licensing, or a combination of both is the best fit, ISCC helps you communicate your commitment to sourcing certified materials clearly and credibly.
From roundtable discussions to a new Co-Chair
Towards the end of the conference, participants exchanged their views during multiple roundtable discussions on sustainable packaging, access to the EU renewable energy market, and the development of SAF.
The conference eventually concluded with the Co-chair election and we would like to use this opportunity to congratulate Miguel Ángel Flores on being elected as the new Co-chair of the ISCC Regional Stakeholder Committee – Latin America!
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