It is time to “de-fossilise” our economy

Contrary to popular belief, climate mitigation will not happen by decarbonising our daily life, but by switching from a “black carbon”-intensive economy to a “biogenic carbon”-rich one. Using wood as an alternative raw material and fuel is part of the solution!

The recently released Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its alarming conclusions as well as the numerous warnings on ocean pollution by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation have made the news headlines over the last few months. They both point to the urgent need to explore new ways to run our economy while maintaining or even enhancing overall prosperity.

In 2015, under the auspices of the United Nations, 17 Sustainable Development Goals aiming at making our economy develop and grow in a “just and safe space”, in other words, in an environmentally responsible and socially inclusive manner, were adopted.

The circular bioeconomy as a cornerstone

The bioeconomy represents the sustainable production of biological feedstocks and their transformation into food, fibre, fuel, chemicals, materials and energy. It builds on the current best natural Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) mechanism, i.e. photosynthesis, and prolongs it by storing “green carbon” in products that can later be recycled – or sometimes upcycled – and, at the end of their life, generate energy. The material recovery and recycling/upcycling help prolong the carbon cycle. In Europe, we call this the “circular economy” and we are convinced that the combination of circularity and biogenic carbon utilisation is the most promising way to reduce our dependence on fossil raw materials and oil and to deliver on our climate and environmental ambitions.

The combination of circularity and biogenic carbon utilisation is the most promising way to reduce our dependence on fossil raw materials and oil.

Pressing the innovation throttle

Some may argue that the bioeconomy is nothing new, that global warming is still progressing and that tortoises, whales and cormorants are still swallowing plastics. To a certain extent they are right but why not see the bottle as half full? A number of elements are urging us to innovate.

Besides the need to reduce production costs, win over competitors and differentiate, both policy pressure (in the form of “carrots” or “sticks”) and consumers’ growing environmental conscience and expectations are drivers for innovation.

The good news is that laboratories and research centres working on the valorisation of biogenic carbon are teeming with innovative ideas that will eventually materialise into new processes and products which rely much less on fossil resources, are fit for reuse and recycling and do not further contribute to a one-way stream of greenhouse gas being injected into the atmosphere.

Three innovation paths

In the forest products industries, as is the case in other sectors, innovation can follow three paths. None of them should be discarded.

A first and obvious way to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases is to make our manufacturing processes more efficient (in resources and energy) and less oil-dependent. Eight years ago, the European association representing the pulp and paper industry (CEPI), faced with the policy challenge of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 80% by 2050, put in place a unique process to figure out the ways and means to deliver on the target. In the so-called “Two-team project”, two teams were given one year to identify disruptive technology concepts that would significantly reduce energy consumption and the related emissions of greenhouse gases. By using a unique natural solvent (deep eutectic solvent), replacing the traditional pulp production process of making paper without water by extrusion, eight concepts were identified, and some of them are being further investigated for commercial deployment.

Another approach is to improve the performance of the current product portfolio of the industry. Markets no longer expect mass production of commodity paper. They want products that provide solutions, that fulfil a function. Smart packaging, erasable paper, printed electronics, valorisation of alternative fibre sources, mass customisation, etc. offer alternatives to plastic, digital and mass consumerism. “Fit-for-purpose” and product “servitisation[1]” are the new words to look out for. In this context, the paper industry is no longer meant to sell tonnes, but square metres and value; for example, the simplest smart folding makes corrugated board as safe as expanded polystyrene to ship fragile products.

The third path is the new unchartered territory of innovative bio-based products. Science shows that wood can be valorised in multiple ways, well beyond construction, furniture or paper. In the past, viscose offered a new, unexpected way to use wood. Today, as shown in the poster recently published by the European forest-based sector (link), the list of possibilities is endless. Each new discovery creates new hope. Resins can increase grip on tyres. Biodegradable mulch films leave no harmful residues in the environment. Despite being ignored for many years and often simply burned to recover energy, lignin is now being reconsidered. The old saying “You can make everything out of lignin … except for money” is outdated. Like vanillin and plasticisers, lignin can be transformed into carbon fibre. Micro- and nano-cellulose are also a game changer and open up completely new markets for our industry, such as healthcare, electronics, etc.

Conditions for success

To keep such promises and possibly contribute to a zero-net emissions economy, a number of conditions have to be met. First and above all, there is a need to create and maintain a climate of confidence in order for investors to take certain risks and for companies to deploy innovations. A stable and predictable policy framework with low to no regulatory risk is a “must”. Studies show over and over again that the current biggest risk for businesses is the regulatory risk. Once the climate is right, access to finances can be facilitated. This can take various forms – business angels, public banks, guarantees, subsidised loans, etc. – to best fit the specific needs of the bioeconomy actors. Money flow should be targeted to supporting research and innovation, and to bridging the “valley of death”, i.e. the moment when an idea needs to be demonstrated and further deployed through a first-of-its-kind investment.

A stable and predictable policy framework with low to no regulatory risk is a “must”.

At the same time, the merits of our products must be backed up by facts and data. It is insufficient to say “because it’s biobased, it’s good for the environment and for climate”. The possible proliferation of such statements and of non-verified labels and claims could cause deception and jeopardise the entire bioeconomy. Life cycle analyses, products’ environmental footprints and trustworthy certificates (e.g. FSC and PEFC on raw material sustainability) are some of the ways to confirm the assets of biobased products.

Finally, citizens and consumers must be made aware of the growing availability of biobased alternatives to current fossil and oil-based products. Broad communication campaigns are rarely part of the DNA of forest industries. This may have to change. In France, we say “he who is absent is always in the wrong”. Biobased industries, forest-based industries and the solutions they provide need to be better known and more visible.

Because, carbon is not all bad! It is indispensable to life! The bioeconomy optimises the benefits of good carbon!

Bernard de Galembert (written for APPITA magazine Jan/March 2019)

[1] Servitisation is the trend to create value by adding services to products.