The need to react to the COVID-19 crisis is a unique opportunity to transform our economy and put forward the change that our society needs to create a sustainable and desirable future. A Circular Bioeconomy Roundtable convened by HRH The Prince of Wales last week discussed how this should be done: not just by designing recovery packages, but by transformative action to trigger mission-oriented innovation, attract investments and rethink business models and markets. Leading figures from science, the investment community and industry discussed how a circular bioeconomy offers game-changing solutions and is a crucial concept to move towards a carbon-neutral, renewable and inclusive economy that prospers in harmony with nature.
Society
LanzaTech has successfully launched LanzaJet to produce sustainable aviation fuel
LanzaTech, a leading biotech company and carbon recycler headquartered in Illinois (USA), has successfully launched LanzaJet, Inc., a new company that will produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for a sector requiring climate friendly fuel options as it starts to recover from the impacts of COVID-19. With its approach to commercialization of SAF, LanzaJet is creating regional jobs while enabling global decarbonization of the aviation sector.
Beiersdorf and Evonik joined forces to develop sustainable raw materials for care products
Beiersdorf and Evonik have reached an agreement on a research partnership. Its aim is to develop sustainable raw materials for care products, using carbon dioxide (CO2) as the starting material. Beiersdorf is on the lookout for new sources of raw materials that will also reduce the company’s carbon footprint. One option here is artificial photosynthesis technology. The idea: with the aid of electricity from solar energy and bacteria, valuable raw materials are produced with water and CO2, drawing on natural photosynthesis as a model. The joint research project of Evonik and Beiersdorf is being funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in the amount of around €1 million.
One in three Finns could stop using fossil fuels in the next few years
Neste brings Neste MY Renewable Diesel™ to a significant number of new stations during April and May 2020 in Finland. With the expansion, Neste MY Renewable Diesel will be available at around 120 stations in growth centers as well as smaller towns.
DSM boosts maternal and infant nutrition portfolio with new plant-based DHA oil
Royal DSM, a purpose-led, global science-based company active in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, launched its new, high-quality life’sDHA® SF55-O200DS oil for maternal and early life nutrition solutions. Offering a higher potency, this ingredient contains a minimum of 550 mg/g natural triglyceride DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), allowing manufacturers to achieve equivalent dosages of DHA in smaller product formats and meet the latest maternal nutrition trend for convenient capsule and tablet sizes.
An exclusive interview with Philippe Mengal, Director of BBI JU. “The bio-based sector can be a key contributor to the Europe’s recovery”
“I am convinced that this crisis will teach us many lessons and I am sure that the day after will find us working together to kick-star again our economies and drive our recovery towards a more resilient, green and digital EU.” Philippe Mengal, Executive Director of BBI JU, talks to Il Bioeconomista. In this exclusive interview, he tells us how the European bioeconomy is reacting to the crisis of coronavirus.
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
International investors call for governments to work towards a sustainable recovery from COVID
International investor groups, including the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC), have encouraged global governments to ensure they are planning for a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by factoring in climate change risk into economic recovery plans.
Braskem is securing the supply of polypropylene polymers for the production of respiratory masks and protective medical gear
Braskem, producer of polyolefins and biopolymers, is meeting the polypropylene raw material needs of medical manufacturing customers for the production of respiratory masks as well as protective medical gear.
In Brussels launched an alliance for a green recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic
An alliance has been launched in the European Parliament on the back of calls from 12 EU environment ministers who have signed an appeal for a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The “green recovery alliance” was launched last Monday at the initiative of Pascal Canfin, a French centrist MEP who chairs the European Parliament’s committee on environment and public health.
Nouryon introduced a natural film-forming polymer for use in high SPF emulsion sunscreens
Nouryon introduced a natural film-forming polymer for use in high sun protection factor (SPF) emulsion sunscreens. SolAmaze™ Natural, which is bio-based and readily biodegradable, addresses the fast-growing consumer demand for natural and clean label ingredients in personal care products.
