Wednesday, March 7, 2012
The Bioeconomy Strategy and Action Plan
The European Commission has adopted a strategy to shift the European economy towards greater and more sustainable use of renewable resources. With the world population approaching 9 billion by 2050 and natural resources finite, Europe needs renewable biological resources for secure and healthy food and feed, as well as for materials, energy, and other products. The strategy and action plan, "Innovating for Sustainable Growth: a Bioeconomy for Europe", outlines a cross-sectoral and inter-disciplinary approach to the issue. The goal is a more innovative and low-emissions economy, reconciling demands for sustainable agriculture and fisheries, food security, and the sustainable use of renewable biological resources for industrial purposes, while ensuring biodiversity and environmental protection. The plan therefore focuses on three key aspects: developing new technologies and processes for the bioeconomy; developing markets and competitiveness in bioeconomy sectors; and pushing policymakers and stakeholders to work more closely together.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
A film about cities, energy and sustainability
In the context of rapid urbanisation and climate change, an increasing number of cities are designed to be energy-conscious and future-proofed, creating 'optimal' environments for citizens. But how truly do they represent the future? Can cities set the agenda for society’s response to climate change?In this film - featuring me - the Economist Intelligence Unit investigates how Europe can create tomorrow’s sustainable cities. The broad issues discussed in this film are very relevant to the emerging bio-economy, and how it needs to 'fit' into dynamic energy systems.
Click here to see the film!
Click here to see the film!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Moving towards a next-generation ethanol economy
Bloomberg New Energy Finance launched its report “Moving towards a next-generation ethanol economy”. Commissioned by Novozymes, the report estimates the socio-economic prospects of deploying advanced biofuels in eight of the highest agricultural-producing regions in the world, i.e. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, EU-27, India, Mexico and the USA.
“An estimated 17.5 percent of the agricultural residue produced could be available today as feedstock for advanced biofuels. With this amount, enough advanced biofuels could be produced to replace over 50 percent of the forecasted 2030 gasoline demand,” said Steen Riisgaard, Novozymes’s CEO.
The report shows that the eight regions analyzed have the potential to diversify farmers’ income, generate revenues ranging from $1 trillion to $4.4 trillion between today and 2050 and create millions of jobs. Including 1.4 million jobs in the USA, according to the report.
“An estimated 17.5 percent of the agricultural residue produced could be available today as feedstock for advanced biofuels. With this amount, enough advanced biofuels could be produced to replace over 50 percent of the forecasted 2030 gasoline demand,” said Steen Riisgaard, Novozymes’s CEO.
The report shows that the eight regions analyzed have the potential to diversify farmers’ income, generate revenues ranging from $1 trillion to $4.4 trillion between today and 2050 and create millions of jobs. Including 1.4 million jobs in the USA, according to the report.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
A film on energy, innovation, education and sustainability
The world's population has just tipped 7 million, having doubled in the last 40 years. But even if population growth begins to stabilise, there is still a big task ahead in making sure that we all can access the basics of life - including energy. In this short film, that features me, the Economist Intelligence Unit (with support from National Geographic, New Scientist, and StatOil) looks at why innovation and education for sustainable development are vital tools for the future. While the film is not about bio-energy directly, it deals with many broader issues that are very relevant to the emerging bio-economy.
Click here to see the film!
Click here to see the film!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
The bio-economy must build on sustainable and participative food chains
The Conference "Sustainable food chains for a European Strategy and Action plan towards a sustainable knowledge-based bio-economy by 2020" was held in June 2011.
Urs Niggli, Steering Committee of TP Organics, stated: "Bio-economy at the moment appears as a "gold rush" for the unlimited use of natural resources – but a responsible bio-economy must initially address the sustainable use of resources. Farmers should not be commodity producers but producers of quality food and managers of the eco-system. We should move from technological innovation to clever innovation! We need integrated, comprehensive and sustainable approaches towards innovation; moreover we need partnerships to work out future systems of natural resource use that involve a broad range of civil society, including farmers, scientists, SMEs and consumers."
The conference concluded that four main future actions are needed to make the EU initiative for a "Knowledge Based Bio-Economy" a contribution to sustainable development in the EU:
- Focus on comprehensive and sustainable production, retailing and consumption systems and not on single technologies.
- Target the delivery of social benefits and public goods to meet pressing social and environmental challenges; the wider development and application of agro-ecological knowledge through innovation can significantly contribute to this objective. Therefore, the EU must invest in maintenance and further development of the organic farming concept and standard.
- All innovative potential of the whole agriculture and food sector must be captured to contribute to innovation. The potential of farmers and SMEs to contribute innovation and knowledge in the food and farming sector must be fully recognised.
- Creation of transparent relationships between producers and consumers.
Urs Niggli, Steering Committee of TP Organics, stated: "Bio-economy at the moment appears as a "gold rush" for the unlimited use of natural resources – but a responsible bio-economy must initially address the sustainable use of resources. Farmers should not be commodity producers but producers of quality food and managers of the eco-system. We should move from technological innovation to clever innovation! We need integrated, comprehensive and sustainable approaches towards innovation; moreover we need partnerships to work out future systems of natural resource use that involve a broad range of civil society, including farmers, scientists, SMEs and consumers."
The conference concluded that four main future actions are needed to make the EU initiative for a "Knowledge Based Bio-Economy" a contribution to sustainable development in the EU:
- Focus on comprehensive and sustainable production, retailing and consumption systems and not on single technologies.
- Target the delivery of social benefits and public goods to meet pressing social and environmental challenges; the wider development and application of agro-ecological knowledge through innovation can significantly contribute to this objective. Therefore, the EU must invest in maintenance and further development of the organic farming concept and standard.
- All innovative potential of the whole agriculture and food sector must be captured to contribute to innovation. The potential of farmers and SMEs to contribute innovation and knowledge in the food and farming sector must be fully recognised.
- Creation of transparent relationships between producers and consumers.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
International Scientists and Economists Statement on Biofuels and Land Use
This is a critical issue to address ...
When land used for food or feed production is turned over to growing biofuel crops, agriculture has to expand elsewhere. This can result in new deforestation and destruction of other ecosystems, particularly in tropical regions in the developing world. The resulting heat-trapping emissions from clearing new land can be significant and may outweigh any emissions savings from the use of biofuels. Scientific studies have warned about the unintended climate consequences of the indirect land use changes associated with increased demand for biofuels and the need to address the issue by changing existing biofuel policies. Nearly 200 scientists and economists with expertise related to climate, energy, and land use have signed on to the International Scientists and Economists Statement on Biofuels and Land Use to urge the European Commission to recognize and account for indirect land use change impacts as a part of the lifecycle analyses of heat-trapping emissions from biofuels.
When land used for food or feed production is turned over to growing biofuel crops, agriculture has to expand elsewhere. This can result in new deforestation and destruction of other ecosystems, particularly in tropical regions in the developing world. The resulting heat-trapping emissions from clearing new land can be significant and may outweigh any emissions savings from the use of biofuels. Scientific studies have warned about the unintended climate consequences of the indirect land use changes associated with increased demand for biofuels and the need to address the issue by changing existing biofuel policies. Nearly 200 scientists and economists with expertise related to climate, energy, and land use have signed on to the International Scientists and Economists Statement on Biofuels and Land Use to urge the European Commission to recognize and account for indirect land use change impacts as a part of the lifecycle analyses of heat-trapping emissions from biofuels.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Sir Richard Branson calls for significant support for renewable energy!
Sir Richard Branson, the founder and Chairman of the Virgin Group, has said that the world faces “the mother of all recessions” unless much more is done to encourage the development of renewable energy.
He said: “If we don’t have alternative fuels we are going to have the mother of all recessions. The way to kick-start the revolution is to have no tax on all clean energy while slowly increasing tax on dirty energy.”
“We have been diverting our profit from airlines into developing fuel for aircraft that won’t damage the environment.”
Sir Richard called on European aviation authorities and airports to do more to reduce the aviation industry’s energy emissions and said that the climate change battle is the “biggest entrepreneurial opportunity of our lifetime”.
He added: “Every single ecosystem is in decline. We must revalue how we value our natural assets and how we reduce our consumption patterns. But it is important for all of us to stay positive. Martin Luther King did not get his message across by saying “I have a nightmare”.”
He said: “If we don’t have alternative fuels we are going to have the mother of all recessions. The way to kick-start the revolution is to have no tax on all clean energy while slowly increasing tax on dirty energy.”
“We have been diverting our profit from airlines into developing fuel for aircraft that won’t damage the environment.”
Sir Richard called on European aviation authorities and airports to do more to reduce the aviation industry’s energy emissions and said that the climate change battle is the “biggest entrepreneurial opportunity of our lifetime”.
He added: “Every single ecosystem is in decline. We must revalue how we value our natural assets and how we reduce our consumption patterns. But it is important for all of us to stay positive. Martin Luther King did not get his message across by saying “I have a nightmare”.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
