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The concept of the bio-based economy has gained increasing attention and importance in recent years. It is seen as a chance to reduce the dependency on fossil resources while securing a sustainable supply of energy, water, and raw materials, and furthermore preserving soils, climate and the environment. The intended transformation is characterized by economic, environmental and social challenges and opportunities, and it is understood as a social transition process towards a sustainable, bio-based and nature-oriented economy. This process requires general mechanisms to establish and monitor safeguards for a sustainable development of the bio-based economy on a national and EU level. Sustainability certification and standardisation of bio-based products can help to manage biogenic resources and their derived products in a sustainable manner. In this paper, we have analysed the current status of sustainability certification and standardisation in the bio-based economy by conducting comprehensive desktop research, which was complemented by a series of expert interviews. The analysis revealed an impressive amount of existing certification frameworks, criteria, indicators and applicable standards. However, relevant gaps relating to existing criteria sets, the practical implementation of criteria in certification processes, the legislative framework, end-of-life processes, as well as necessary standardisation activities, were identified which require further research and development to improve sustainability certification and standardisation for a growing bio-based economy. ; bio-based economy; sustainability; certification; standardisation; sustainability criteria; gaps; sustainability assessment

Background: The high number of bioeconomy (BE) policies and strategies indicates the interest in the BE in many nations. The development of the BE holds opportunities but also risks for sustainability. Thus, the future development of a sustainable BE should be based on coherent policy frameworks. There are already links between private governance approaches and public policy frameworks that might support each other for this purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate how the current EU BE policy frameworks consider sustainability aspects and if non-governmental governance approaches could support their enhancement. Methods: An inventory of BE policy documents on EU and EU member state levels relevant to sustainability was conducted applying desktop research. Major sustainability risk perceptions in the BE sectors were identified. We provide a list of sustainability risks within different BE sectors, based on an expert survey. In a qualitative evaluation, most commonly identified sustainability requirements in policy documents were benchmarked against most important sustainability risk perceptions. Results: Sustainability requirements have been identified in 56% of the policy documents. The influence of the policy frameworks on the industry was found to be rather low. Specific targets and goals are included in 72% of the analysed BE policy documents, but only 50% are quantifiable. Identification of major sustainability risks revealed that in the biomass production stage, mostly environmental risks are most relevant. A "hot spot sector" with accumulated sustainability risk perceptions or a tendency to higher risk levels was not identified. Most important sustainability risk perceptions matched with requirements in policy documents, but requirements were mostly stated in a noncommittal way. Discussion and conclusions: Coherence amongst the sustainability criteria included in the various BE frameworks should be increased. Groundwork developed by non-governmental governance approaches should be picked up by policy ...

The concept of the bio-based economy has gained increasing attention and importance in recent years. It is seen as a chance to reduce the dependency on fossil resources while securing a sustainable supply of energy, water, and raw materials, and furthermore preserving soils, climate and the environment. The intended transformation is characterized by economic, environmental and social challenges and opportunities, and it is understood as a social transition process towards a sustainable, bio-based and nature-oriented economy. This process requires general mechanisms to establish and monitor safeguards for a sustainable development of the bio-based economy on a national and EU level. Sustainability certification and standardisation of bio-based products can help to manage biogenic resources and their derived products in a sustainable manner. In this paper, we have analysed the current status of sustainability certification and standardisation in the bio-based economy by conducting comprehensive desktop research, which was complemented by a series of expert interviews. The analysis revealed an impressive amount of existing certification frameworks, criteria, indicators and applicable standards. However, relevant gaps relating to existing criteria sets, the practical implementation of criteria in certification processes, the legislative framework, end-of-life processes, as well as necessary standardisation activities, were identified which require further research and development to improve sustainability certification and standardisation for a growing bio-based economy. ; EC/H2020/727740/EU/Sustainability Transition Assessment and Research of Bio-based Products/STAR-ProBio

The transition to a bioeconomy (BE) offers great chances with respect to a more sustainable economy, in which products are produced mostly from renewable resources in a socially,economically and environmentally acceptable way, overcoming typical problems caused by the economic development. Nevertheless, there are also high risks for people and the planet in line with the advancement of this development. These risks must be minimized today by policies in order to avoid an erroneous trend. This deliverable seeks to show potential policy gaps with regard to the establishment of a sustainable BE and to develop recommendations to bridge these gaps based on STAR ProBio results. Therefore policies, strategies and legislative documents from EU member states and the European Union, potentially affecting or promoting sustainability assessment and certification were investigated. Furthermore, results of ongoing and finalized projects within the research area were incorporated in this task and a mapping of the SDGs with the results of the analysis of policy documents was conducted in order to assess links between the SDGs and sustainability requirements given in the policy documents of the analysed sample. Finally, at a workshop with project partners, sustainability risk levels, subjected to BE sectors, were developed. The investigation showed, that currently, no coherent and comprehensive framework does exist for the EU BE. Instead, many different types of policies with different scope and degree of detail are available. There is a lack of measurable targets within the policies. Certification was found to be an accepted instrument for the assessment of sustainability. The focus of requirements included in the policy framework is on the environmental sustainability, while economic and social aspects are less represented. To address minimum sustainability requirements in certain sectors or markets, politics started to make use of established and proven criteria sets (e.g. FSC®/PEFC schemes, RED criteria). ; Project ...

Biomassebasierte Energie leistet als erneuerbare Energie, insbesondere bei der Wärmebereitstellung, schon heute und auch zukünftig einen Beitrag zu einer zuverlässigen, bezahlbaren sowie umweltschonenden Transformation des Energiesystems. Um gerade im Wärmebereich kosteneffiziente und umweltverträgliche Lösungen zu identifizieren, müssen eine Reihe von Randbedingungen beachtet, neue Technologiekonzepte bewertet und ihre Anwendung und Auswirkungen in verschiedenen Wärmemärkten analysiert werden. Mit diesem Vorhaben sollen – unter umfassender Berücksichtigung der politischen Zielstellungen und Rahmenbedingungen im Wärmebereich sowie auf Basis von vorliegenden Biomassepotenzialabschätzungen, Energieszenarien und Technologieinformationen – die Entwicklungsperspektiven der Wärmeerzeugung aus Biomasse systematisch abgeschätzt werden. Dies erfolgt mit Hilfe verfügbarer Modellierungs- und Bewertungsansätze, die bereits für die Ableitung von Bioenergiestrategieelementen im Strom- und Verkehrssektor erprobt sind. Dabei werden zum einen die gegenwärtig in der Entwicklung befindlichen Technologiekonzepte systematisiert und zum anderen ihre Wettbewerbsfähigkeit in verschiedenen Teilmärkten simuliert. Die damit verbundenen Auswirkungen, auf den Gesamtbeitrag zur Energieversorgung, den Klimaschutzbeitrag und die Effekte auf die Landnutzung, werden bewertet und diskutiert. Die so entwickelte Datenbasis nebst Informationen zu den Perspektiven der Wärmebereitstellung aus Biomasse (mit anderen erneuerbaren Energien) wird zur Unterstützung der strategischen Arbeiten im Bereich Wärme und Effizienz(politik) zur Verfügung gestellt, z.B. für die Plattformen und Arbeitsgruppen des BMWi, BMEL oder BMUB.