This chapter demonstrates the current economic and social value of marine fisheries to the world, and estimates the sector’s full potential if it were managed within the framework of a green economy. It also explores how to foster much needed reforms and channel investment that will help shift marine fisheries to a more sustainable future.

Towards a Green Economy Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication, PART I: Investing in natural capital, Agriculture

The use of renewable energy is projected to increase substantially in the European Union to reach a share of 20% in final energy consumption and 10% renewable energy in transport by 2020. The renewable energy contribution is further expected to increase to 55%–75% of gross final energy consumption in 2050. According to the latest reports, the European Union has made significant progress since 2005 and is on track to reach its 2020 renewable energy targets. This paper provides a review of the policy framework for renewable energy in the European Union and an analysis of the progress made by the use of renewable energy as well as the expected developments until 2020 and beyond. It focusses on the contribution of bioenergy, the major source among renewables in the European Union. As biomass availability is a critical issue for the bioenergy production, this paper provides an analysis of the biomass demand for reaching the 2020 targets, in relation with the expected domestic supply and biomass potential.

Renewable energy policy framework and bioenergy contribution in the European Union – An overview from National Renewable Energy Action Plans and Progress Reports

Agricultural waste: Review of the evolution, approaches and perspectives on alternative uses

Producing PHAs in the bioeconomy — Towards a sustainable bioplastic

Municipal solid waste and food supply chain waste are globally generated in large quantities from various sectors including various stages of food supply chains, municipalities, open markets and catering services. A prevailing priority in the EU is to stimulate the transition towards a circular economy that fosters the promotion of sustainable and resource-efficient policies for long-term socio-economic and environmental benefits. Common practices for waste management include landfill disposal, anaerobic digestion, composting and wastewater treatment. Recently, new technologies have been introduced to produce value-added products from agricultural residues and food processing side streams. Integrated and holistic approaches for organic waste utilization as industrial feedstocks will boost the transition towards the bio-economy era. The establishment of circular economy would expand and diversify the market outlets of bio-based products. This review provides an overview of the current methods on waste and by-product streams bioconversion to develop biorefinery concepts.

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A roadmap towards a circular and sustainable bioeconomy through waste valorization

The European Commission has set a long-term goal to develop a competitive, resource efficient and low carbon economy by 2050. Bioeconomy is expected to play an important role in the low carbon economy. This paper provides a review of the policy framework for developing a bioeconomy in the European Union covering energy and climate, agriculture and forestry, industry and research. The Europe has a number of well-established traditional bio-based industries, ranging from agriculture, food, feed, fibre and forest-based industries. This paper proposes an analysis of the current status of bioeconomy in the European Union and worldwide until 2020 and beyond. We estimate the current bio economy market at about € 2.4 billion, including agriculture, food and beverage, agro-industrial products, fisheries and aquaculture, forestry, wood-based industry, biochemical, enzymes, biopharmaceutical, biofuels and bioenergy, using about 2 billion tonnes and employing 22 million persons. New sectors are emerging, such as biomaterials and green chemistry. The transition toward a bioeconomy will rely on the advancement in technology of a range of processes, on the achievement of a breakthrough in terms of technical performances and cost effectiveness and will depend on the availability of sustainable biomass.

Viorel Nita

Papers

The role of biomass and bioenergy in a future bioeconomy: Policies and facts