Renewables are the key to energy security, said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group III report released last Monday. Countries that have adopted low carbon policies are already seeing a drop in emissions.
Economy
The EU Commission presented a package of European Green Deal proposals
The Commission presented last week a package of European Green Deal proposals to make sustainable products the norm in the EU, boost circular business models and empower consumers for the green transition. As announced in the Circular Economy Action Plan, the Commission is proposing new rules to make almost all physical goods on the EU market more friendly to the environment, circular, and energy efficient throughout their whole lifecycle from the design phase through to daily use, repurposing and end-of-life.
The Italian bioeconomy takes a step forward: Versalis and Novamont strengthen their partnership
Versalis and Novamont are strengthening their partnership to reinforce synergies in the ecological transition of green chemistry, leveraging what has been built so far to maximize spin-offs and seize new opportunities. The commitment to Matrìca – the joint venture set up in 2011 between Versalis and Novamont at Porto Torres specializing in manufacturing bioproducts from renewable sources – has been reconfirmed.
Clariant joined the Renewable Carbon Initiative to accelerate the transition to the bioeconomy
Clariant, a focused, sustainable and innovative specialty chemical company, joined the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI). The aim of the RCI is to support and accelerate the transition from the use of fossil carbon to the use of renewable carbon in the chemical industry. Switching to renewable carbon sources prevents additional fossil carbon entering the atmosphere and thus addresses a core problem of climate change.
ABB has been awarded a major contract by NatureWorks to automate the new, greenfield plant in Thailand
ABB has been awarded a major contract by NatureWorks, the world’s leading manufacturer of polylactic acid (PLA), a low-carbon bioplastic made from renewable agricultural resources, to automate their new, greenfield plant in Thailand, converting sugar cane to the polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymer, Ingeo™.
Aquafil and ITOCHU joined forces to promote and expand the nylon circular business
Aquafil, the creator of the branded ECONYL® regenerated nylon and pioneer in the circular economy, and ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo) entered into a non-exclusive business alliance agreement to promote and expand the nylon circular business.
UPM published a new Forest Action Programme, which will run until 2030
UPM has published a new Forest Action Programme, which will run until 2030. The global programme steers UPM’s global wood sourcing operations and covers its own forests in Finland and the United States as well as its plantations in Uruguay. The programme goes beyond current standard requirements and its measures have a positive impact on the fundamental aspects of sustainable forestry: climate, biodiversity, soil, water and societal contribution.
LanzaTech to go public through business combination with AMCI Acquisition Corp. II
LanzaTech, an innovative Carbon Capture and Transformation company headquartered in Illinois (USA) that transforms waste carbon into materials such as sustainable fuels, fabrics, packaging and other products that people use in their daily lives, and AMCI Acquisition Corp. II, a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company, agreed to combine through a business combination transaction.
Upon closing of the transaction, the combined company will be renamed LanzaTech Global, Inc. and its common stock is expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “LNZA.”
Mogu launched the new biomaterial EPHEA, as part of Balenciaga’s Winter 2022 runway show
Mogu Srl, the Italian material innovation company that commercializes bio-fabricated and circular products for interior architecture and green building, launched EPHEA™️. The market launch took place last Sunday as part of Balenciaga’s Winter 2022 runway show, at Paris Fashion Week, during which the brand presented an unprecedented floor-length coat realised with EPHEA™️.
An exclusive interview with John Bell, EU Commission: ”The bioeconomy can support the European Green Deal on all its objectives”
John Bell is the Healthy Planet Director in DG Research and Innovation (R&I). He leads R&I transitions on climate change, bioeconomy, food systems, environment, biodiversity, oceans, Arctic, circular economy, water and bio-based innovations. This includes harnessing investments for Horizon Europe, the Circular Bioeconomy and the EU Bioeconomy Strategy. In this exclusive interview with Il Bioeconomista, he talks about the bioeconomy strategy 10 years after its first launch and the ecological transition at EU level.
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
IL BIOECONOMISTA 