Report on European Bioeconomy Innovations and their Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Aligning Bioeconomy with the 2030 Agenda

Innovations within the sustainable and circular bioeconomy are pivotal for safeguarding quality of life and advancing progress across the interconnected pillars of people, planet, and prosperity. These advancements are instrumental in reducing Europe’s dependency on non-renewable resources, thereby reinforcing the synergy between the economy, society, and the environment. By leveraging renewable biological resources, the bioeconomy directly supports the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of climate action, responsible consumption, and sustainable industry.

The European Union’s commitment to climate neutrality by 2050 is substantially supported by bioeconomy solutions that substitute fossil-based materials, minimize waste, and enhance the circularity of materials. This report outlines the contributions of 15 EU-funded research projects, showcasing their role in driving the green transition and achieving key SDG targets.

Project Contributions to Specific Sustainable Development Goals

The following projects, funded under the Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe programmes, demonstrate tangible progress towards a sustainable and circular bioeconomy, with direct impacts on several SDGs.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure & SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

These projects focus on transforming industrial processes, creating sustainable materials, and ensuring transparency in bio-based value chains.

• MY-FI: Produced high-quality, sustainable, mycelium-based materials for the textile industry, promoting circular fashion and reducing industrial waste.
• FutureEnzyme: Developed novel enzymes for the textile, detergent, and cosmetics sectors, creating greener and more efficient industrial applications.
• AFTERBIOCHEM: Established a first-of-its-kind manufacturing plant to convert non-food biomass into eco-friendly chemical products, building resilient and sustainable industrial infrastructure.
• VIVALDI: Transformed industrial carbon dioxide emissions into valuable organic acids, creating a circular model that captures and reuses waste streams.
• SUSTCERT4BIOBASED: Promoted transparency and traceability for bio-based products, enhancing consumer trust and accountability in sustainable production patterns.
• GeneBEcon: Utilized gene editing technology in potatoes and microalgae to improve industrial processing and agricultural production for a more sustainable bioeconomy.

SDG 13: Climate Action & SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

This initiative directly targets the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, a core objective of global climate action efforts.

• ENOUGH: Developed new technologies and methods to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food refrigeration systems, contributing to climate change mitigation.

SDG 14: Life Below Water & SDG 15: Life on Land

These projects are dedicated to protecting and restoring terrestrial and marine ecosystems by promoting sustainable resource management and reducing the environmental impact of value chains.

• RAINFOREST: Explored pathways to reduce the biodiversity impacts of food and biomass value chains, supporting transformative changes to halt biodiversity loss.
• RESONATE: Employed remote sensing data to map forest disturbance hotspots across Europe, enabling more resilient and sustainable forest management.
• BlueRev: Advanced the circular economy within the blue bioeconomy value chain, empowering coastal communities and promoting the sustainable use of marine resources.
• SCALE: Produced algae-based ingredients for the food, feed, and cosmetics sectors, developing a sustainable value chain centered on aquatic life.

SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities & SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

These projects focus on building capacity, fostering collaboration, and empowering communities through education and strategic governance to accelerate the bioeconomy transition.

1. BioRural: Created the European Rural Bioeconomy Network to support the deployment of small-scale, bio-based solutions, fostering economic resilience and sustainability in rural areas.
2. ShapingBio: Provided policy recommendations to strengthen bioeconomy innovation across sectoral, governmental, and geographic levels, fostering partnerships for sustainable development.
3. BioBeo: Developed digital educational tools to teach young people about the bioeconomy, promoting awareness and skills for future green jobs.
4. CEE2ACT: Supported Central and Eastern European countries in developing national circular bioeconomy strategies, enhancing regional cooperation and governance.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The article connects to this goal through its discussion of bioeconomy solutions for food production and agriculture. Projects like GeneBEcon, which aims to improve agricultural production through gene editing in potatoes, and SCALE, which produces algae-based ingredients for the food and feed sectors, directly address sustainable food systems.

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  The article highlights the bioeconomy’s role in achieving renewable energy goals and reducing dependency on fossil fuels. It states that bioeconomy solutions help the EU achieve its “renewable energy goals by 2030” by “substituting fossil-based materials and fuels with bio-based alternatives.”

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article mentions that bioeconomy innovations contribute to “generating jobs” and “enhancing sustainable competitiveness of European industries and businesses.” The focus on developing new technologies and markets, particularly in rural areas through projects like BioRural, supports economic growth and productivity.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  This is a central theme of the article, which showcases 15 EU-funded research and innovation projects. It emphasizes bringing innovations from “lab to fab” and then to market. Projects like AFTERBIOCHEM (building a manufacturing plant for green chemicals), MY-FI (developing bio-based materials for textiles), and FutureEnzyme (designing enzymes for industrial use) exemplify the focus on upgrading industries with sustainable and innovative technologies.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The article touches upon this goal by mentioning that the bioeconomy increases the “vitality of rural areas.” The BioRural project specifically aims to create a “European Rural Bioeconomy Network to promote small-scale bio-based solutions in rural areas,” fostering sustainable development beyond urban centers.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The core concept of a “sustainable and circular bioeconomy” is directly aligned with this goal. The article repeatedly mentions “minimising waste and pollution,” “maximising the use of materials and side streams,” and promoting the “efficient use of biomass side streams and waste.” Projects like SUSTCERT4BIOBASED, which promotes traceability of bio-based products, directly support sustainable production patterns.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The article explicitly states that bioeconomy innovations “contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation” and support the EU’s goal of “climate neutrality (net-zero greenhouse gas emissions) by 2050.” Projects like ENOUGH, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions from refrigeration, and VIVALDI, which transforms CO2 emissions into useful products, are direct actions against climate change.

• SDG 14: Life Below Water

  The “blue bioeconomy” is mentioned as a key area of investment. Projects like BlueRev, which aims to transform the “blue bioeconomy value chain,” and SCALE, which uses algae for various products, relate to the sustainable use of marine and aquatic resources.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  The article addresses this goal by stating that the bioeconomy helps to “combat biodiversity loss” and “protect ecosystems.” The RAINFOREST project is specifically designed to “reduce biodiversity impacts of food and biomass value chains,” while the RESONATE project focuses on the resilience of forests.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The entire article, which features projects funded under the EU’s Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe programmes, is an example of partnership. Furthermore, projects like CEE2ACT (supporting countries in developing bioeconomy strategies) and ShapingBio (providing recommendations on innovation across governmental levels) highlight the importance of collaboration and governance to achieve bioeconomy goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices. This is addressed by the GeneBEcon project, which uses gene editing to improve “agricultural production and industrial processing for a sustainable bioeconomy.”

2. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. The article supports this by describing how the bioeconomy helps achieve “renewable energy goals” by “substituting fossil-based…fuels with bio-based alternatives.”

3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation. The article’s focus on “bioeconomy innovations” and “Europe’s innovators” who have “developed technologies and products” directly relates to this target.

4. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies. This is the central theme, exemplified by projects like AFTERBIOCHEM, which built a “first of a kind manufacturing plant that turns non-food biomass into eco-friendly products.”
   • Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors. The article showcases 15 EU-funded research projects that aim to bring “innovations…from ‘lab to fab’ and then to market.”

5. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.a: Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas. The BioRural project, which establishes a “European Rural Bioeconomy Network to promote small-scale bio-based solutions in rural areas,” directly supports this target.

6. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. The article’s emphasis on using “renewable biological resources” and “maximising the use of materials and side streams” aligns with this target.
   • Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse. This is a core principle of the circular bioeconomy described, which aims at “minimising waste” and demonstrating the “efficient use of biomass side streams and waste.”

7. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The article mentions the EU’s goal for “climate neutrality…by 2050” and how projects like CEE2ACT support countries in developing “circular bioeconomy strategies,” which inherently include climate measures.

8. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems. The mention of the “blue bioeconomy” and projects like BlueRev, which focuses on its value chain, implies actions towards the sustainable management of aquatic resources.

9. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species. The RAINFOREST project directly addresses this by exploring “pathways to reduce biodiversity impacts of food and biomass value chains.”

10. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

    • Target 17.6: Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation. The EU funding framework (Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe) for the 15 projects is a form of international cooperation to advance science and technology.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For SDG 9 (Target 9.5)

   • Indicator: Number of new technologies and products developed and commercialized.

     Explanation: The article implies this indicator by highlighting the successful transition of innovations from “lab to fab’ and then to market.” The 15 projects featured are concrete examples of this process.

2. For SDG 12 (Target 12.5)

   • Indicator: Amount of waste and side streams valorized or reused.

     Explanation: The article states that a key aspect of the bioeconomy is “maximising the use of materials and side streams” and the “efficient use of biomass side streams and waste.” Projects like AFTERBIOCHEM (using non-food biomass) and VIVALDI (using CO2 emissions) provide a basis for measuring this.

3. For SDG 13 (Target 13.2)

   • Indicator: Reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

     Explanation: This is explicitly mentioned. The ENOUGH project’s goal is to “reduce greenhouse gas emissions from refrigeration,” and the VIVALDI project “transformed carbon dioxide emissions.” Progress can be measured by the amount of GHG emissions reduced or captured by these technologies.

4. For SDG 15 (Target 15.5)

   • Indicator: Reduction of biodiversity impacts from value chains.

     Explanation: The RAINFOREST project is designed to “explore pathways to reduce biodiversity impacts of food and biomass value chains.” The outcomes of this project would provide metrics for measuring progress towards this indicator.

5. For SDG 7 (Target 7.2)

   • Indicator: Share of bio-based alternatives in material and fuel consumption.

     Explanation: The article’s statement about “substituting fossil-based materials and fuels with bio-based alternatives” implies that a key measure of success is the rate and volume of this substitution, contributing to the share of renewable energy and materials.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: cordis.europa.eu