Bio-based industries are key to the EU’s green recovery, says BIC’s position paper

The Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), BBI JU founding partner, has published a position paper The bio-based industries – key to the EU’s green recovery.

This paper shows the immediate and the mid to long-term impacts of the bio-based industries on the EU’s green recovery. The sector positively contributes to environmental, economic and social challenges by sustainably processing domestic renewable feedstock from agriculture, forestry and fisheries, as well as residues, bio-waste and recycled carbon emissions, in state-of-the-art biorefineries to provide bio-based solutions for our customers and consumers. The position paper highlights three main areas of contribution:

1. Bio-based industries accelerate the economic recovery

With about 700 billion EUR turnover and 3.6 million people employed, the bio-based industries are helping to alleviate the impact of the crisis by keeping essential services running and maintaining green jobs. BIC members reacted quickly and effectively to assist governments and health authorities to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. This included the provision of much-needed supplies such as food and feed ingredients, (compostable) packaging, hand sanitisers, masks, tissues and energy from renewable feedstock.

2. Bio-based industries are key for realising the EU’s Green Deal

The advantage of the bioeconomy lies in the fact that through integrated and innovative circular operations food, feed, bio-based products and materials, services and energy can be produced. The bio-based industries help to reduce Europe’s dependency on fossil-based resources, sustain healthy ecosystems and achieve the climate neutrality goal. They also help to improve food security, foster circularity, stimulate rural development and maintain green jobs in EU regions.

3. Bio-based industries transform the way sectors and society work

Creating bio-based value chains requires new connections and innovations across multiple and diverse sectors. It also requires involving brand owners’ and citizens’ insights to achieve market up-take and acceptance. That is the uniqueness and the challenge of the European bio-based sector. The bio-based industries integrate ‘traditional’ industrial sectors including the primary sector into innovative value chains in making the European bioeconomy the global leader.

Read the full position paper
Read the open letter: 63 BIC industry members CEOs and C-level representatives have signed addressing EU Commissioners and calling for a stronger recognition of the bio-based sector in the EU’s green recovery.

Source

Biobased Industries Joint Undertaking, press release, 2020-07-19.

Supplier

Bio-based Industries (BBI) Joint Undertaking
Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC)
European Commission

Share