{"id":16367,"date":"2021-12-07T13:50:34","date_gmt":"2021-12-07T13:50:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=16367"},"modified":"2021-12-07T13:50:34","modified_gmt":"2021-12-07T13:50:34","slug":"measuring-the-european-bioeconomy-for-the-green-energy-transition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/measuring-the-european-bioeconomy-for-the-green-energy-transition\/16367\/","title":{"rendered":"Measuring the European bioeconomy for the green energy transition"},"content":{"rendered":"
Key initiatives such as the European Union\u2019s Green Deal<\/a> are creating momentum to establish an EU-wide bioeconomy. However, it faces obstacles, such as the current system in which data is processed and shared among member states. Some argue that it urgently needs updating.<\/p>\n Through the newly emerging clean energy transition,<\/a> the move towards a bio-based economy and away from a fossil-fuels has gained a new urgency.<\/p>\n The European Union\u2019s latest Green Deal aims to manage and transform Europe into a competitive economy that addresses social inequality and climate change.<\/p>\n Central to the Green Deal\u2019s agenda, is\u00a0the goal of achieving zero net emissions of greenhouse gases by mid-century, encouraging the transition to rely less on unrenewable resources and more on environmentally friendly economic growth. Because of this, the Green Deal is laying the groundwork for a wider adoption of bioeconomy practices in the EU.<\/p>\n In an encompassing plan that stretches beyond focusing on the environment alone, the Green Deal intends to address wider topics such as a greener and more sustainable approach to housing, the food chain, transport, the provision of energy, jobs and industry as a whole. However, achieving these ambitious targets is not without its challenges.<\/p>\n While member states may broadly agree on the end objective, their diverse cultural and economic backgrounds mean many are divided on how to bring the European bioeconomy ambitions to the foreground. The role of nuclear energy in Europe\u2019s future energy mix, is just one example of how opinion is often fiercely divided.<\/p>\n \u201cDiffering bioeconomy strategies could be a problem when designing an overarching EU policy,\u201d explained Paul Stegmann, a researcher in bio-based economies at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. \u201cFor example, countries are working on individual sustainability certification schemes. This makes it more difficult for biomass suppliers, but it also could lead to biomass with lower sustainability standards entering the EU via member states with less strict requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n As\u00a0biomass products are essential to replace their fossil-fuel equivalents in the move towards a sustainable future, maintaining their universal cross-border standards is vital. Establishing an EU-wide bioeconomy also requires more than merely utilising renewable biological resources sustainably. Its success is also dependant on the way we measure the pace of progress towards this goal. This means examiningthe evaluation of new and existing data and establishing modelling frameworks\u00a0that are fit for its purpose.<\/p>\n As well as existing gaps in available bioeconomy research, data that already exists requires a restructure in framework that results in a clearer picture of how the EU as a whole is approaching its green goals. \u201cA circular bioeconomy can only work if we understand the flows of bio-based materials in the economy,\u201d Stegmann said.<\/p>\nEuropean Union\u2019s Green Deal<\/h3>\n
Challenges of achieving a greener Europe<\/h3>\n
BioMonitor project<\/h3>\n