What is your opinion with respect to the updated\u00a0bioeconomy\u00a0strategy? Does it meet your expectations?<\/h3>\n
Yes, I believe that it\u2019s a\u00a0very good\u00a0document, well balanced\u00a0and\u00a0with a\u00a0transformative\u00a0vision and strategic framework\u00a0for action.\u00a0It\u00a0is important that now it\u00a0clearly connects\u00a0to the Circular Economy\u00a0and also reflects\u00a0on recent key developments like the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.<\/p>\n
In addition,\u00a0I am very happy to see that\u00a0key\u00a0forest based opportunities are explicitly\u00a0identified, but especially\u00a0that you perceive a \u201cforest way of thinking\u201d\u00a0along the document\u00a0as the sustainability of the\u00a0bioeconomy\u00a0is framed within the ecological boundaries of our\u00a0ecosystems and biodiversity and ecosystem services become central to its development.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0updated\u00a0strategy\u00a0proposes three main action areas:\u00a0strengthen\u00a0and scale-up the\u00a0biobased\u00a0sectors, unlock investments and market; deploy local\u00a0bioeconomy\u00a0rapidly across Europe; understand the ecological boundaries of the\u00a0bioeconomy. Would you add others?<\/h3>\n
First of all, developing a\u00a0Bioeconomy\u00a0Strategy for Europe is not an easy task! Each of us would emphasis or\u00a0add specific aspects, but\u00a0most\u00a0of the\u00a0issues can be addressed\u00a0within these three broad areas.\u00a0To me the challenge is how now to bring these areas into action at European level. So, instead of adding other areas, we need to put emphasis in ensuring\u00a0that the areas\u00a0and actions identified in the new\u00a0Bioeconomy\u00a0Strategy are\u00a0strategically integrated in other European policies and\u00a0Programmes\u00a0to\u00a0ensure coherence, scale and synergies; CAP; Industrial Policy, European\u00a0Investment\u00a0Bank\u00a0portfolio, Strategic Partnership for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement, etc.<\/p>\n
In addition,\u00a0I would place important attention to support\u00a0cities and regions\u00a0to\u00a0incorporate the\u00a0bioeconomy\u00a0in their agendas. But it is identified in the strategy.<\/p>\n
The only additional aspect, I would\u00a0have\u00a0stressed\u00a0more is the importance of communication, of creating a compelling narrative to engage with society at large, with our increasingly urbanized society and young people: who are the future.<\/p>\n
What do you think about the EUR 100 million Circular\u00a0Bioeconomy\u00a0Thematic Investment Platform mentioned in the updated strategy?\u00a0How could it really de-risk private investments in sustainable solutions?<\/h3>\n
I would need to learn more about it in order to answer. But as you remember in the last\u00a0Bioeconomy\u00a0Investment Summit (Helsinki, 2017), it was clear that de-risking private investments was\u00a0identified as\u00a0a key challenge. It was also highlighted that we need to attract massive investments to transform the\u00a0bioeconomy\u00a0into an economic reality but\u00a0this\u00a0does not mean to focus only on massive projects. There is a\u00a0great\u00a0diversity of\u00a0bioeconomy\u00a0companies and projects that need to be supported. I hope such Platform can address\u00a0such\u00a0diversity effectively.<\/p>\n
An important role in supporting the circular\u00a0bioeconomy\u00a0is played by public perception, which is often more interested in the cost of a product rather than in its ecological footprint. How is it possible to make the\u00a0bioeconomy\u00a0more attractive?<\/h3>\n
Well, markets are not perfect and they need to be regulated in order to address\u00a0the\u00a0negative externalities\u00a0they generate. We need to\u00a0internalize\u00a0the\u00a0environmental costs of fossil products\u00a0into\u00a0their product\u00a0prices.\u00a0This year\u2019s\u00a0Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences,\u00a0William D. Nordhaus, argues that\u00a0the most efficient remedy for the problems caused by greenhouse gas emissions would be a global scheme of carbon taxes that are uniformly imposed on all countries.\u00a0Such measure is probably the\u00a0most effective single measure to unlock the potential of a sustainable\u00a0bioeconomy\u00a0too.<\/p>\n
The updated strategy mentions also the concept of urban\u00a0bioeconomies. What\u2019s the role of the forest industry in this area?<\/h3>\n
Forests and forest based solutions\u00a0are called to be the backbone for future sustainable cities.\u00a0As the world continues to urbanize, cities need to play\u00a0a\u00a0leading role in fighting climate change\u00a0while providing\u00a0new homes, schools and other buildings. We have not yet\u00a0built 50% of the urban fabric which will be required globally by 2050. But the construction sector is currently dominated by\u00a0materials like concrete and steel, whose production is not environmentally friendly and their production is a main contributor to climate change and other environmental problems.For instance,\u00a0the use and construction of buildings in the European Union\u00a0is responsible for 35% of the EU\u2019s carbon emissions, and 40% of its energy consumption while uses 50% of the raw materials.<\/p>\n
In that context, the forest\u00a0bioeconomy\u00a0provides new engineered wood\u00a0solutions:\u00a0the only significant construction material that is renewable and can be grown sustainably. Using wood in construction is one of the most effective carbon sequestration and capture technologies we have, still not prominent in the ongoing discussion on the need for negative emissions to meet the Paris Climate Agreement goals.\u00a0If we replace concrete and steel with\u00a0wood,\u00a0we can reduce the carbon footprint of a building by around 50%.\u00a0\u00a0Furthermore, another way to improve the sustainability of our cities is to plant trees and urban forests. Trees can cool cities by between 2C and 8C. If you plant trees near buildings, it can cut air conditioning use by 30%, and reduce heating energy use by 20 to 50%.<\/p>\n
From where would you start tomorrow morning to\u00a0strengthen the connection between economy, society and the environment?<\/h3>\n
I am answering this interview on my way to China, where I will be for a week presenting and discussing with Chinese organizations why the\u00a0bioeconomy\u00a0is key to transform our world\u00a0towards a sustainable path\u00a0and how to act together. China produces half of the world\u2019s\u00a0textile fibers, a third of the plastics and more than half of the cement and steel produced globally. Understanding better Chinese economy and\u00a0creating an informed dialogue on common global challenges and opportunities is crucial from a European and global perspective.<\/p>\n
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