“One of the greatest advantages of the circular bioeconomy is the fact that it relies on renewable biological resources and renewable energy which we can develop, manage and process in Europe, which is not a continent rich in fossil resources or rare earth materials.” To say it – in this exclusive interview with Il Bioeconomista – is Marc Palahí, director of the European Forest Institute. He talks about circular bioeconomy, the role played by the forest-based sector, the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance founded by His Majesty King Charles III (formerly The Prince of Wales) and the next event focused on Biocities, which will take place in Rome on April 20.
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
Ecological transition, green new deal. Industry is called to reduce its environmental impact more and more. How does the forest industry come to this challenge?
The forest-based sector has unique opportunities to contribute to an inclusive, nature positive and climate-neutral economy. It can also act as a transformative catalyst to rethink and decarbonize other economic sectors that are hard to decarbonize and result in great environmental impacts, e.g., fashion, construction, chemicals, etc.
The forest sector’s unique position in the net-zero transition is due to its potential in:
- Increasing carbon removals through direct and indirect investments and actions related to sustainable forest management and towards enhancing forest resilience and adaption to climate change and natural disturbances;
- Leading a circular bioeconomy that provides renewable solutions to substitute non-renewable and fossil-based materials such as plastics, concrete, steel, while also supporting carbon storage in long-lived products such as wood construction.
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in operations and across the value chain by using renewable energy generated from the cascading use of the by-products resulting from wood processing.
On 20th April Rome will host the “Grand Opening of EFI’s Biocities Facility & Cities in the age of forests”. What is the ambition of the Biocities Facility? And what role in general can the cities play in the ecological transition?
The ambition of the Biocities Facility is to contribute a new vision (science-informed) for reimagining the cities of the 21st century, placing nature and life (Bio) at the centre of the urban agenda. Cities are the largest consumers of resources; energy, materials, food and greatest emitters. They are also our innovation and economic hubs. Therefore cities need to lead the change towards a new Circular Bioeconomy that prospers in harmony with Nature. To lead such transformation cities need to be transformed too… and become the change we want for our world… This means among other things that trees, forests and wood need to become the backbone for designing and developing our cities in synergy with the bioregions that surround them.
You are involved in the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance founded by His Majesty King Charles III (formerly The Prince of Wales). Could you explain to our readers what is this Alliance and how important is the role played by King Charles to inform people about the need to change economic and social paradigm?
His Majesty has been always a visionary… for the last five decades he has been reflecting and working towards the restoration of humanity, nature and the environment. In 2020, when he still was the prince of Wales he founded the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and asked me to lead the initiative. The Alliance is a collaborative partnership that involves corporations, banks, funds, NGOs, SMEs, or scientific organizations such as the European Forest Institute, which acts as the secretariat. The Alliance aims at rising awareness about the need to transition from a linear fossil-based economy to a circular bioeconomy that is inclusive, nature-positive and climate-neutral.
The Alliance implements on the ground demonstration projects that integrate landscape restoration and value chain creation with positive impacts for local and indigenous communities, nature and climate. We do this through a network of Living Labs for Nature and People that demonstrate best practices, build new capacities as well as collect and share scientific and traditional knowledge to multiply transformative action on the ground.
The European Commission is now highlighting the renewed importance of the bioeconomy to ensure Europe’s energy independence and food security in the context of the Ukraine war. What are the biggest opportunities which haven’t yet been exploited in these two areas?
One of the greatest advantages of the circular bioeconomy is the fact that it relies on renewable biological resources and renewable energy which we can develop, manage and process in Europe, which is not a continent rich in fossil resources or rare earth materials. The latest technological developments in the forest industry has shown that wood components such as lignin can be used to replace the graphite in electric batteries. Graphite is very carbon intense but also produce in a few countries only. This is an example of how biobased solutions can increase resource security and be the basis for local-European value chains that generate more economic value in terms of jobs and prosperity. I think we need a massive Innovation plan to realise the potential of the circular bioeconomy in terms of climate change mitigation, employment and security, including a biodiversity pillar which is the long-term basis for prosperous bioeconomy…
Last September, in the USA, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy that will likely have impacts on the pharmaceutical, energy, agriculture, and engineering industries. The European Commission presented its Communication “A Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age” last February”. As far you’re concerned, what are today the main differences between EU and USA in supporting the circular bioeconomy and the decarbonization of industries? In particular with regard to the Chinese competition?
Such executive order just confirms the relevance of investing in the Circular Bioeconomy as a win-win solution in many fronts… Europe has been leading in terms of research and technology in several fronts, including forest-based sector. The Circular bio based Europe initiative, probably the largest public-private partnership in the world on the bioeconomy, has also been successful. But now is time to bring the Circular Bioeconomy to a totally new investment scale. If you look at the share of bio based solutions in the big chemical European companies it is still a minor share. The same if you look a textiles or construction sector… It is time to design plan for Circular BioEurope around the four famous Is: Innovation, Institutions, Infrastructures and Investments…
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