Avril gets involved — in the BioAdvantage Europe initiative for the bioeconomy
The bioeconomy is seen as a real opportunity for green growth and economic and social development. Hence the importance of encouraging this momentum by strengthening collaborations between industry, research and all stakeholders in the sector.
On 21 October, BioAdvantage Europe organized its first round table as part of EU Green Week 20201 to share its ambitions and solutions with the European Commission. BioAdvantage, created at the beginning of 2019 at the initiative of Scania, a Swedish manufacturer of trucks and coaches, brings together experts and private sector business leaders2 who, with one voice, wish to promote the virtuous role of the bioeconomy to EU policymakers3. Avril joined the initiative in autumn 2019 to address common and complementary issues collectively, such as the contribution of biofuels made from European rapeseed and sunflower, and the development of sustainable practices in agriculture.
BioAdvantage Europe’s ambition? To build awareness of the bioeconomy, which refers to all activities related to the production and valorization of bioresources: forestry, agriculture, aquaculture, biowaste (livestock and food industry effluents).
And above all, to explain the multiple benefits of this living economy – decarbonisation, rural growth, job creation, circular economy4 – in achieving the ambitious goals of the Green Deal5. The guidance briefs, events and collective pilot projects organized by this coalition prove the immediate positive impact of the bioeconomy on the green recovery of the European economy.
An essential role The bioeconomy already plays a key role in the European economy as it employs 18 million people, i.e. 9% of the European workforce. If an appropriate policy framework is implemented, it could create a million new green jobs by 2030.
(1) Green Week, organized by the European Commission – Energy, Climate Change and Environment, promotes the contribution of biodiversity to society and the economy.
(2) The Swedish agricultural cooperative Lantmännen, the Danish Novozymes Group, world leader in enzyme
production, the Finnish oil company Neste, the Norwegian mineral fertilizer manufacturer Yara and the Dutch company DSM, the world leader in food ingredients.
(3) Including the European Parliament, the Council and the Economic and Social Committee of Europe.
(4) The circular economy aims to produce goods and services in a sustainable way by limiting resource waste and the environmental footprint, and by increasing efficiency at all stages of the product economy.
(5) The European Green Deal is a set of measures aimed at making Europe a “climate neutral” continent by 2050. Amongst the Green Deal’s key ambitions and policies are the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and investment in research/innovation focusing on environmental protection, including clean technology in particular.