Sustainability· 2013Q1· Review
The Bioeconomy in Europe: An Overview
- 794citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2013year
Short summary
The European bioeconomy, driven by renewable biological resources for materials, chemicals, and energy, is characterized by evolving definitions and a broad, cross-sectoral focus, despite varying actor perspectives.
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Key points
- Bioeconomy definitions in Europe are not uniform but share a focus on economic output and cross-sectoral scope.
- Bioenergy, particularly biofuels and biorefineries, is a central component of the European bioeconomy.
- Significant optimism surrounds the bioeconomy's opportunities, yet substantial risks and trade-offs exist.
- The concept faces criticism for potentially offering a technical solution and overshadowing alternative approaches.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
A bioeconomy can be defined as an economy where the basic building blocks for materials, chemicals and energy are derived from renewable biological resources. This paper provides an overview of the bioeconomy in Europe, examining it from a policy framework and concept perspective. The role of bioenergy in the bioeconomy is discussed particularly through biofuels for transport and biorefineries. The study finds that the definitions of the bioeconomy are evolving and vary depending on the actor, but display similarities such as the emphasis on economic output and a broad, cross-sectoral focus. While there is great optimism about the benefits and opportunities associated with developing an advanced bioeconomy in Europe, significant risks and trade-offs are also expressed. Furthermore, the bioeconomy concept has been criticised for presenting a technical fix and pre-empting alternative visions. To advance a competitive and sustainable bioeconomy, this paper calls for attention on two important themes: participatory governance that engages the general public and key stakeholders in an open and informed dialogue as well as a commitment by government and industry to innovation that drives concerted efforts on sustainable development of the bioeconomy.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Sustainability, 2013 · DOI ↗
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Field: General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
General Agricultural and Biological SciencesAgricultural and Biological Sciences