On Friday, 7 November more than 80 industry and academic people gathered at the PreCOP30 event in the Innovateca park in Rio de Janeiro. On the eve of the COP30 event, the role of bioeconomy was discussed as one of the key solutions to abate climate change, manage biodiversity, develop inclusiveness and create millions of jobs in a worldwide nature-based economic system.
This event was co-organized by the research organizations Firjan (Brazil) and VITO (Belgium) and paving the way to a strong Brazilian – Belgian bioeconomy collaboration (supported by Flanders Investment & Trade and Hub Brussels). During the event more than 35 short presentations and panel discussions showed a range of bioeconomy solutions. These included the potential of bio-based agriculture processes for pest treatment and nutrient management. Others emphasized the importance of plant molecular biology to increase the crop yield and productivity in a nature-based way, while allowing high biomass outputs from limited land use – freeing up land for nature restauration. Another focus was placed on the beneficial elements of forest protection combined with forest-economy leading to social development of indigenous people.
At the event, another focus was on the importance of the bioeconomy using waste streams (e.g. lignin as waste from the pulp and paper industry or from 2G-ethanol production). VITO CEO Inge Neven, presented the results of the COUNTLESS project in a video message: taking on the challenge of lignin valorisation. Based on an innovative depolymerisation technology, this project is leading to functional additives in personal care, fire retardants and UV-stabilisers in materials, thermoset adhesives for wood-panels, PU foams and coatings and finally in bitumen binders. Striking was the message that these bio-based products are per definition circular but also, if used in long term applications such as construction materials, for example, are locking-in the carbon, thus creating a sink.
The Brazilian audience decided to continue this approach and the collaboration with Belgium and in extension Europe, to create a bioeconomy 2.0. This was also supported at the COP30 in Belém by the launch of the bioeconomy challenge to put bioeconomy permanent on the COP agenda as one of the strong global contributors to the goals of the COP event.