Nabisy is the German database for sustainability proof, run by the BLE. Anyone claiming biofuel against the German greenhouse gas quota needs the proof to exist in Nabisy, which means somebody in the chain must be registered and must issue the Nachweis there. For a supplier outside Germany this usually means your German counterparty does the entering, but they can only do it if what you send them is complete. Three things get asked for over and over: the biomass code for the product, an example of an earlier Nachweis so the buyer can see the format, and confirmation of who the seller of record is. If you can answer those three, the German route is usually straightforward. If you cannot, it stops there regardless of how good the material is.
- 1Origin of the material
- 2Chain of custody
- 3Mass balance bookkeeping
- 4Scheme certificate
- 5Claim on the invoice
A claim is only as good as the weakest box to its left.
What Nabisy is, and who has to touch it
Nabisy is the web database the German authority uses to register sustainability proof for biofuels. It sits alongside the voluntary scheme certification rather than replacing it: you still need ISCC, REDcert or another recognised scheme, and Nabisy is where the resulting proof is recorded for German purposes.
For most non-German suppliers the practical position is that you do not operate in Nabisy yourself. Your German buyer or their trader does. What you supply is the underlying documentation that makes their entry possible and correct, which is why the questions come to you rather than to them.
The biomass code is the question you will be asked first
Every feedstock has a code in the German system, and a German counterparty will ask which one applies to your product before much else happens. In our own correspondence this exact question, what biomass code is being used for this product, comes back again and again, over years.
It matters because the code is not decoration. It ties the physical material to a category, and the category carries the value: what it can be counted as, at what weighting, against which obligation. A code that does not match the material is the same problem as an Annex IX letter that does not match, and it surfaces at the same late moment.
If you do not know which code applies, say so and ask your certification body rather than guessing from the product name. Guessing here is how a consignment ends up re-declared.
How a proof of sustainability becomes a Nabisy entry
The sustainability declaration your scheme produces is not itself a Nabisy Nachweis. The German entry is generated in Nabisy on the basis of it, by a registered party, and it carries its own identifiers.
Buyers frequently ask a new supplier to share an example from an earlier shipment, not because they doubt you, but because they want to see whether the format and the fields will work on their side before they commit to a cargo. It is a reasonable request and worth being ready for.
What makes the entry work or fail is boring and specific: the seller of record has to match the party on the declaration, the quantities have to reconcile, the feedstock category has to be consistent, and the greenhouse gas figure has to be present and defensible.
- Your scheme certificate, in scope for the product and the activity.
- The sustainability declaration for the consignment, complete and consistent with the physical documents.
- The biomass code, agreed rather than assumed.
- The greenhouse gas saving figure, with the basis it was calculated on.
- Who the seller of record is, matching the declaration and the invoice.
Why Germany asks more questions than other markets
Germany meets its transport obligation through a greenhouse gas quota rather than a volume quota. That means the value of a parcel to a German buyer depends on how much emission saving it delivers, not simply on how many tonnes it is.
The consequence for a seller is that the greenhouse gas figure stops being a line on a form and becomes part of the price conversation. A well-documented saving is worth money in Germany in a way it is not everywhere, and a figure you cannot substantiate costs you more there than elsewhere.
It also explains why German counterparties are more insistent about paperwork than some other markets. They are not being difficult; their own claim depends on it.
What we do with this
We are asked about Nabisy from both directions: suppliers who have been sent a question they cannot answer, and German buyers checking whether a new supplier will be able to deliver documentation that works.
What helps most is getting the three questions answered before a cargo is nominated rather than while it is on the water. It is a short conversation early and a long one late.
Frequently asked questions
What is Nabisy?
It is the German web database for sustainability proof for biofuels, operated by the BLE. It does not replace scheme certification: you still need ISCC, REDcert or another recognised scheme, and Nabisy is where the resulting proof is registered for German purposes. Anyone claiming against the German greenhouse gas quota needs the proof to exist there.
What is a Nabisy biomass code?
It is the code that ties your physical material to a feedstock category in the German system. A German counterparty will usually ask which code applies to your product early in the conversation. The code carries value, because the category decides what the material can be counted as and against which obligation, so a code that does not match the material causes the same kind of problem as a wrong Annex IX letter.
Do I need to register in Nabisy myself if I am not in Germany?
Usually not. In most chains the German buyer or their trader is the registered party and does the entering. What you supply is the underlying documentation that makes their entry possible and correct, which is why the questions land with you even though the database is theirs.
A buyer asked for an example of a previous Nabisy proof. Is that normal?
Yes, and it is worth being ready for it. Buyers ask new suppliers to share an earlier example so they can check whether the format and fields will work on their side before committing to a cargo. It is a practical check rather than a sign of distrust. Remove commercially sensitive detail before sharing, but do share the structure.
Is a sustainability declaration the same as a Nabisy Nachweis?
No. The declaration is produced under your voluntary scheme and travels with the consignment. The Nabisy entry is generated in the German database on the basis of it, by a registered party, and carries its own identifiers. One is the input to the other.
Why does Germany care so much about the greenhouse gas figure?
Because the German transport obligation is a greenhouse gas quota rather than a volume quota. The value of a parcel there depends on how much emission saving it delivers, not just on the tonnage. That makes a well-documented saving worth real money in Germany, and an unsubstantiated one more expensive than elsewhere.
What does a German buyer need from me before they can book the volume?
In practice: a scheme certificate in scope for the product and the activity, a complete sustainability declaration consistent with the physical documents, the agreed biomass code, the greenhouse gas saving with the basis it was calculated on, and confirmation of who the seller of record is. If the seller on the declaration does not match the seller on the invoice, the entry stalls.
Does Nabisy disappear now that the Union Database exists?
The Union Database changes how sustainability data moves across the EU, and the relationship between it and national systems has been evolving. Treat the current position as something to confirm with your certification body for your specific chain rather than something to read off a website, including this one. What has not changed is that a German buyer needs proof it can actually book.
Market news
Recent headlines from across the feedstock and renewable fuel sector. Nothing specific to this market has come through the wires lately, so this is the wider view. The links go to the publisher; we do not host or edit their reporting, and a headline here is not our endorsement of it. Scroll for more.
- Singapore, Brazil move to build green fuel shipping corridor
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18 headlines, updated automatically. Last refreshed .
Sources and further reading
Primary sources for the rules and figures on this page, so you can check them yourself. Legislation is amended: always read the consolidated text on the date that matters to you.
Who to ask about Nabisy
Just ask. Been asked for a Nabisy biomass code or a Nachweis example and not sure what to send? Tell us the product, the scheme and the buyer's position, and we will work out what actually has to happen. You get Bart van den Brug on the other end, same working day, in English or Dutch, and across the team also in French, Portuguese, Polish, Czech and Russian.
On how we work: on the feedstocks and fuels on this site we are a broker. We never take title, we do not trade our own book, and we are paid a commission on business that concludes. Additives are the one exception: those we also buy and sell for our own account, and we say in which capacity we are acting before you commit to anything. Either way you will hear it from us when the answer is no, or when your parcel is not ready for the conversation you want to have. A market read or a second opinion on a specification costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Happy to look at whatever you have, even if it is half an analysis and a question.
+31 6 115 83 448
bart@sustainablecommodities.eu
Sustainable Commodities 3 B.V., Lemmer, the Netherlands
Ask about Nabisy
A direct line to the desk. We answer the same working day in almost all cases, and we will tell you plainly when a cargo is not something we can place.
Prefer email? bart@sustainablecommodities.eu · +31 6 115 83 448
Last reviewed 03 September 2026. Regulatory references are given for orientation and are not legal advice: verify against the current Official Journal text before contracting.