Suchergebnisse

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 ...