Benefits of the transition towards sustainable circular bio-based systems from linear fossil-based

ExpectedOutcome:

Successful proposals will support policy makers in their efforts to develop sustainable pathways to replace fossil and carbon-intensive systems with circular bio-based systems at the EU and regional scale, in line with the 2030 climate targets and European Green Deal objectives. Project outcomes will contribute to foster European industrial sustainability, competitiveness and resource independence.

Projects results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcome:

• Policies are designed to enable the transition from linear fossil-based systems to circular bio-based systems, setting priorities.

Scope:

Abandoning the current linear fossil-based economy is a prerequisite for European Green Deal objectives and, in general, for preserving life on our planet. Biogenic resources are key means of mitigating climate change as they can strengthen natural and anthropogenic carbon sinks. Circular bio-based systems are part of the solution to achieving climate neutrality, where they replace carbon-intensive and fossil-based systems and are based on sustainably sourced biological resources. Policies must ensure that this transition from linear fossil-based to circular bio-based systems is sustainable and aims at i) climate change mitigation and adaptation; ii) increasing resource efficiency and circularity; iii) preserving and restoring natural resources, their ecosystem services and biodiversity; and i) ensuring a just transition for everyone. Policies and priorities should be comprehensive and underpinned by a critical assessment of the environmental/social/economic impacts of the current linear fossil-based economy. That assessment should help individuating policy priorities, as well.

To support designing policies to transition away from linear fossil-based systems towards sustainable circular bio-based ones, proposals should:

1. Consolidate knowledge on current trends in terms of the environmental, economic and social limits of a linear carbon-intensive and fossil-based economy. By limits, we mean technical and structural barriers and/or inability to reach local and global Sustainable Development Goals (e.g. SDGs, climate change mitigation targets, European Green Deal objectives). Cultural and social limits should also be considered, including barriers related to gender and age.
2. Develop new/improve existing methodologies to assess environmental/social/economic impacts of linearity vs circularity in the economy, including on waste production and disposal, non-renewable resources exploitation and loss, geographically (and socially) unbalanced distribution of resources and growth, biodiversity loss at global and local scale. The methodologies should consider circular economy indicators, methods and concepts developed or under development in existing initiatives, including Commission’s ongoing work on the circular economy monitoring framework and R&I activities.
3. Assess the environmental/social/economic impacts of the EU’s current linear fossil-based economy. This should include aspects related to the geographical distribution of oil origins and global trade, direct and indirect environmental impacts of fossil-based value chains on a life cycle base, including on, but not limited to, climate change, resource use including land, water and marine space, air/water/soil quality, ecosystems services and biodiversity. Costs arising from environmental and social impacts should be internalised in the economic impacts assessment.
4. Develop and compare multiple scenarios of transitioning from fossil-based to circular bio-based systems, modelling the replacement of the fossil-based activities, with a focus on the most carbon-intensive ones, with bio-based systems, including innovative solutions, at EU and global scale. Environmental/social/economic impacts of bio-based systems should be assessed with validated methodology, considering also the benefits of applying a circular approach to the bio-based systems. Biogenic carbon capture utilization (BCCU) solutions ^[1] for bio-based systems via nature-based solutions (e.g. in soils or long-term circular bio-based materials) should be part of the assessment. Scenarios should compare the impacts of fossil-based and bio-based solutions, and include social aspects and social innovation, especially at the socio-technical interfaces of innovative solutions.
5. Identify knowledge gaps in the assessment of the sustainability of the transition from fossil-based to circular bio-based systems and in the comparison between alternative scenarios as described under point d).
6. Identify priorities in the transition from fossil-based to circular bio-based systems, according to scenarios analysed in the project and develop guidelines and policy recommendations.

Proposals should include a task dedicated to sharing methodologies and findings with projects funded within this topic.

This topic should involve the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines.

Cross-cutting Priorities:

ForesightSocial sciences and humanitiesOcean sustainability and blue economySocial Innovation

[1]In synergy with European partnerships under Clusters 4, 5, and 6.