Before the global pandemic severely disrupted ways of life, world leaders had declared 2020 to be a “super year for nature”, marked by several defining climate and biodiversity conferences and milestones. I believe 2020 lived up to its original designation, although not as initially planned. As we collectively experienced the unsettling effects of the pandemic and restrictions to our individual freedom, many turned to nature for solace. I still hold vivid memories of my daily breaths of fresh air and the scents of nature awakening from the long winter. Never had nature felt so soothing.
It is now emerging that this strong reconnection with nature was in fact shared by many around the word. A growing number of studies are linking the impacts of the large-scale changes in behavioral patterns, brought about by the pandemic, to enhanced consumer environmental awareness. This will likely accelerate a growing trend towards sustainable consumption and demand for “natural” products – and the rise of a circular bioeconomy.
The circular bioeconomy is an alternative low carbon economic model based on the sustainable consumption of biological resources to produce food, feed, products and energy. The model suggests we consider a time before non-renewable or fossil-based materials such as plastics, metal or concrete found their way into every aspect of daily lives. But despite many biological resources such as forests being renewable, they are not infinite. Thus, these resources must be sustainably managed, recovered and reused as much as possible.
Restoring elements of a preexisting economic model based on natural resources could seem simple, but in practice it requires fundamentally re-thinking the existing predominant “take-make-dispose” approach. This can only be achieved through tremendous innovation and collaboration between business, government, and society.
Focusing on the role of business in this equation, WBCSD recently launched a new report on the Circular bioeconomy: The business opportunity contributing to a sustainable world, in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and over twenty WBCSD members from a broad range of industries. This report describes the USD $7.7 trillion economic opportunity for bio-based products by 2030, based on the increasing use of biomaterials within ten high growth industries to complement or even substitute fossil-based materials.
The forest sector lies at the heart of a transition to a low-carbon circular bioeconomy. Wood is a key source of biomass, alongside biomass from agriculture and aquaculture. As a renewable and versatile raw material, wood is turned into numerous products, thereby passing on its remarkable sustainable attributes. Indeed, products made of wood are renewable, recyclable, and importantly they store carbon for the duration of their lifetime. Through innovation, this ancient raw material is finding new applications in sectors such as packaging, construction materials, textiles, bioenergy, pharmaceuticals, or vehicle components. To seize this opportunity to effectively replace and complement fossil-based materials across many industries, the pace of innovation in the forest sector is expected to accelerate in the coming years to bring to market more innovative applications of wood.
The case studies featured in the Circular bioeconomy report show how businesses in the forest sector are innovating to meet three complementary objectives:
1) To bring wood-based alternatives to new markets: This consists in finding new applications for wood-based products to complement or replace existing materials in markets in which the forest sector does not traditionally sell. Through the uptake of wood as a raw material, these industries are advancing their individual decarbonization agenda. A good example of this is the use of dry lignin from wood to manufacture batteries for consumer electronics or electric cars. Another is the growing uptake of wood-based fibers (man-made cellulosic fibres) contributing to a more sustainable fashion industry. In the space industry, the use of wood materials is being researched as a solution to the growing issue of harmful substances left in the atmosphere by satellites.
2) To increase the uptake of wood-based materials in traditional markets: This consists of driving adoption within markets that are traditionally part of the forest sector value chain. The growing demand for engineered wood products such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) in the building and construction sector provides a good example of this. In the packaging industry, businesses are responding to the growing demand for paper board-based or corrugated packaging, and more recently 3D formed fiber, to replace the widespread us of plastics in the industry.
3) To valorize waste within the forest sector value chain: Here the focus has moved from the product to the production process, which is equally important. This consists of seeking innovative ways to reuse industrial process waste, such as carbonate sludge, either as raw material input into manufacturing or as a feedstock for other industries such as chemicals or cement.
The circular bioeconomy model is gaining momentum as an attractive business opportunity, and as an important lever to decarbonize the economy. But businesses embracing this model are often confronted with complex sustainability dilemmas, or trade-offs, such as the competition for land across different uses of biomass. The forest sector is no exception. Driven by the growing population and the bioeconomy, the demand for wood is predicted to triple by 2050, while deforestation and forest degradation remain a global concern. Society’s undeniable dependence on forests for natural resources calls for the forest sector to act as responsible stewards of these working forests to secure a continuous supply of sustainable materials and products.
Over the past 20 years, forest certification has grown to cover approximately 11% of the total forest area and has become the reference to verify responsible forest management and sourcing practices. But to meet the growing demand for wood, more of the world’s productive forest needs to be brought under sustainable management. To guide businesses in navigating these trade-offs across the full life cycle of a product, WBCSD and BCG developed criteria to help assess the sustainability performance and economic viability of products from the circular bioeconomy through holistic assessments.
The Circular bioeconomy report explains how companies embracing this new business model face considerable hurdles related to costs, technology, policy and consumer perception. On the latter two, the pandemic has opened a window of opportunity for the emerging circular bioeconomy to grow. Consumers are more ready than ever [NF4] to value sustainable nature-based products; and governments are facing a unique opportunity to invest their stimulus spending in ways that will allow this new economic model to flourish. Businesses alone will not be able to generate lasting change across all sectors. Regulators, investors and consumers must also support this journey toward closing resource loops. So now is as good a time as any to grow awareness of this silent revolution already in motion.
Angela Graham-Brown is Lead, Forest Solutions Group at WBCSD
Kabla ya janga la ulimwengu kuharibu sana njia za maisha, viongozi wa ulimwengu walikuwa wametangaza 2020 kuwa "mwaka mkubwa kwa asili", iliyowekwa alama na mikutano kadhaa ya hali ya hewa na utofauti wa kibiolojia na hatua muhimu. Nadhani mwaka 2020 umefikia lengo lake, ingawa sio kama ilivyopangwa. """Tukiwa na athari za kutisha za janga hilo na vizuizi kwa uhuru wetu wa kibinafsi, wengi waligeukia asili kwa faraja." Bado nina kumbukumbu nzuri za kupumua hewa safi kila siku na harufu ya asili inayowaka kutoka majira ya baridi kali. Asili haijawahi kuhisi kitulizo hivyo. Sasa inatokea kwamba kuunganishwa tena kwa nguvu na asili kwa kweli kulishirikiwa na wengi kuzunguka neno. Idadi inayoongezeka ya masomo inaunganisha athari za mabadiliko makubwa katika mifumo ya tabia, yaliyosababishwa na janga hilo, na kuongezeka kwa ufahamu wa mazingira wa watumiaji. Hii pengine kuharakisha mwelekeo wa kuongezeka kuelekea matumizi endelevu na mahitaji ya <unk>natural<unk> bidhaa <unk> na kuongezeka kwa uchumi wa mzunguko wa bio. Bioeconomy ya mviringo ni mbadala ya chini ya kaboni ya uchumi mfano msingi juu ya matumizi endelevu ya rasilimali za kibiolojia kwa ajili ya uzalishaji wa chakula, chakula, bidhaa na nishati. "Mfano huo unaonyesha kwamba kuna wakati kabla ya vifaa visivyoweza kurejeshwa au vya visukuku kama vile plastiki, chuma au saruji kupata njia yao katika kila kipengele cha maisha ya kila siku. """ Hata hivyo, ingawa misitu na misitu mingine inaweza kuhifadhiwa tena, haipo kwa ukamilifu. Kwa hiyo, rasilimali hizi lazima kusimamiwa kwa njia endelevu, kurudishwa na kutumiwa tena kadiri iwezekanavyo. Kurudisha vipengele vya mfano wa kiuchumi uliopo kabla ya msingi wa rasilimali za asili inaweza kuonekana rahisi, lakini katika mazoezi inahitaji kimsingi kufikiri tena ya mbinu ya sasa ya "kuchukua-kufanya-kuondoa". Hii inaweza tu kupatikana kupitia uvumbuzi mkubwa na ushirikiano kati ya biashara, serikali, na jamii. WBCSD imetoa ripoti mpya ya Bioeconomy ya Mzunguko: Fursa ya Biashara inayochangia Ulimwengu wa Uendelevu, kwa kushirikiana na Boston Consulting Group (BCG) na wanachama zaidi ya ishirini wa WBCDS kutoka sekta mbalimbali. Ripoti hiyo inaelezea fursa ya kiuchumi ya dola za Marekani za $ 7.7 trilioni kwa bidhaa za bio-msingi ifikapo 2030, kulingana na kuongezeka kwa matumizi ya biomaterials ndani ya viwanda kumi vya ukuaji wa juu ili kuongeza au hata kuchukua nafasi ya vifaa vya fossil. Sekta ya misitu iko katika moyo wa mpito wa bioeconomy ya mviringo ya kaboni ya chini. Mbao ni chanzo muhimu cha biomass, pamoja na biomass kutoka kilimo na ufugaji wa samaki. Kama nyenzo mbadala na versatile, mbao ni kugeuka katika bidhaa nyingi, hivyo kupitisha sifa zake ajabu endelevu. Kwa kweli, bidhaa zilizotengenezwa kwa mbao zinaweza kurejeshwa, kuyarudishwa, na muhimu zaidi, huhifadhi kaboni kwa muda wote wa maisha yao. Kupitia uvumbuzi, nyenzo hii ya zamani ya malighafi inapata matumizi mapya katika sekta kama vile ufungaji, vifaa vya ujenzi, nguo, bioenergy, dawa, au sehemu za magari. Ili kuitumia fursa hii kwa ufanisi kuchukua nafasi na kukamilisha vifaa vya msingi wa visukuku katika viwanda vingi, kasi ya uvumbuzi katika sekta ya misitu inatarajiwa kuharakisha katika miaka ijayo kuleta soko zaidi ya matumizi ya kisasa ya mbao. "Mfano wa utafiti wa kesi katika ripoti ya ""Circular Bioeconomy"" unaonyesha jinsi biashara katika sekta ya misitu zinavyofanya ubunifu ili kukidhi malengo matatu ya ziada: 1) Kuleta mbadala wa misitu kwenye masoko mapya: Hii inahusisha kupata matumizi mapya ya bidhaa za misitu ili kuongeza au kuchukua nafasi ya vifaa vya sasa katika masoko ambayo sekta ya misitu hauzalishi." Kupitia upatikanaji wa mbao kama malighafi, viwanda hivi vinaendeleza ajenda yao ya kibinafsi ya kuondoa kaboni. Mfano mzuri wa hii ni matumizi ya lignin kavu kutoka mbao kutengeneza betri kwa ajili ya watumiaji wa elektroniki au magari ya umeme. Mwingine ni kuongezeka kwa matumizi ya nyuzi za mbao (nyuzi za cellulose za binadamu) zinazochangia sekta ya mitindo ya kudumu zaidi. Katika sekta ya anga, matumizi ya vifaa vya mbao yanachunguzwa kama suluhisho la tatizo linalokua la vitu vyenye madhara vinavyobaki angani na satelaiti. Kuongeza matumizi ya vifaa vya mbao katika masoko ya jadi: Hii inahusisha kuendesha kupitishwa ndani ya masoko ambayo ni sehemu ya jadi ya mlolongo wa thamani ya sekta ya misitu. Kwa mfano, mahitaji ya bidhaa za mbao za uhandisi kama vile mbao za msalaba katika sekta ya ujenzi ni ya kawaida. Katika sekta ya ufungaji, biashara zinajibu mahitaji ya kuongezeka kwa ufungaji wa karatasi ya karatasi au wa corrugated, na hivi karibuni nyuzi za 3D zilizofanyizwa, kuchukua nafasi ya plastiki zilizosambazwa sana katika tasnia. 3) Kutumia taka katika mlolongo wa thamani ya sekta ya misitu: Hapa lengo limehamia kutoka kwa bidhaa hadi mchakato wa uzalishaji, ambao ni muhimu sawa. Hii inahusisha kutafuta njia za ubunifu za kutumia tena taka za mchakato wa viwanda, kama vile matope ya kaboni, ama kama nyenzo ya mbinu katika utengenezaji au kama nyenzo ya viwanda vingine kama vile kemikali au saruji. Mfano wa uchumi wa kibiolojia wa mviringo unapata kasi kama fursa ya biashara ya kuvutia, na kama lever muhimu ya kuondoa kaboni ya uchumi. Lakini biashara zinazokubali mtindo huu mara nyingi hukabiliwa na matatizo magumu ya uendelevu, au biashara, kama vile ushindani wa ardhi katika matumizi tofauti ya biomass. Sekta ya misitu si tofauti. Kwa sababu ya ongezeko la idadi ya watu na uchumi wa kibiolojia, mahitaji ya mbao yanatarajiwa kuongezeka mara tatu ifikapo mwaka 2050, wakati ukataji miti na uharibifu wa misitu unabaki kuwa wasiwasi wa kimataifa. Utegemezi wa jamii kwa misitu kwa rasilimali za asili inahitaji sekta ya misitu kutenda kama wasimamizi wenye uwajibikaji wa misitu hii ya kazi ili kuhakikisha usambazaji wa kuendelea wa vifaa na bidhaa endelevu. Katika miaka 20 iliyopita, uthibitisho wa misitu umekua kufikia takriban 11% ya eneo la jumla la misitu na umekuwa kumbukumbu ya kuthibitisha usimamizi wa misitu na mazoea ya uagizaji. Lakini ili kukidhi mahitaji yanayoongezeka ya mbao, sehemu kubwa ya misitu ya ulimwengu inayotokeza inahitaji kusimamiwa kwa njia endelevu. Ili kuongoza biashara katika kuendesha biashara hizi katika mzunguko mzima wa maisha ya bidhaa, WBCSD na BCG zilitengeneza vigezo kusaidia kutathmini utendaji wa uendelevu na ufanisi wa kiuchumi wa bidhaa kutoka kwa uchumi wa mzunguko kupitia tathmini ya jumla. Ripoti ya Bioeconomy Circular inaelezea jinsi makampuni yanayokubali mtindo huu mpya wa biashara yanakabiliwa na vizuizi vikubwa vinavyohusiana na gharama, teknolojia, sera na maoni ya watumiaji. Katika vifungu viwili vya mwisho, janga hilo limefungua dirisha la fursa kwa uchumi wa kibiolojia unaojitokeza kukua. Wateja wako tayari zaidi kuliko wakati wowote [NF4] kuthamini bidhaa endelevu za asili, na serikali zinakabiliwa na fursa ya kipekee ya kuwekeza matumizi yao ya kichocheo kwa njia ambazo zitawezesha mtindo huu mpya wa kiuchumi kusitawi. Biashara peke yake hazitaweza kuzalisha mabadiliko ya kudumu katika sekta zote. Wasimamizi, wawekezaji na watumiaji lazima pia kuunga mkono safari hii kuelekea kufunga loops rasilimali. Kwa hiyo sasa ni wakati mzuri kama mwingine wowote wa kukuza ufahamu wa mapinduzi haya ya kimya ambayo tayari yanaendelea. Angela Graham-Brown ni kiongozi wa kikundi cha suluhisho za misitu katika WBCSD