Expertise network for the sustainability assessment of biobased materials
This project is a stepping stone towards the development of an international collaboration focusing on the quantification and interpretation of the sustainability impact of biobased materials and processes in the Euregio. In this project, we aim to establish a perennial network where professionals, businesses and researchers exchange and further develop sustainability assessments in relation to a biobased and circular economy. The network will serve as a meeting point for actors in this field and as an accelerator for joint projects and public-private collaborations.
Background
Nowadays, biomass is the only renewable source for the production of chemicals and materials. It plays an important role in the mitigation process of many of the sustainability issues of fossil-based products due to their potential for renewability, biodegradation, and less energy consuming production routes. Besides, the use of advanced biobased technologies and a better understanding of recycling of products will lead a more sustainable economy, i.e. biobased products in a circular economy. Europe aims to replace at least 30 percent of the demand for fossil fuels by renewable resources by 2050. Hence, many efforts have been set-up to promote a biobased economy across Europe. However, biobased products are not as-a-rule more sustainable than their conventional counterparts. There is a growing public and private interest to investigate how biobased products show sustainability advantages with respect to their fossil-fuel counterparts. This is however not straightforward and requires expertise from several fields to jointly evaluate crucial sustainability impacts along the three sustainability pillars “people, planet and profit”
For more information
yvonne.vandermeer@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Aim
The aim of this project is to set up a perennial network to pool expertise of researchers, professionals, and businesses to develop sustainability assessments in relation to a biobased and circular economy in three dimensions: environmental, economic, and social.
Scope
In this project AMIBM will seek and attract partners, to co-develop and participate in a network on the quantitative assessment of the sustainability impact of biobased products.
Result
Creation of a perennial network on quantitative assessment and interpretation of the sustainability impact of biobased products.