`Bio' = Progress? How sustainable is the German bioeconomy?
A bio-based economy that is oriented towards natural cycles, sustainable and climate-neutral - that is the goal of the German government's bioeconomy strategy. But is the bioeconomy developing in the desired direction in all areas? The use of biomass can lead to conflicting goals that are not always visible at first glance because they occur globally or with a time lag. In order to make the connections between our consumption in Germany and environmental impacts detectable, monitoring is essential. "We show where and when the prefix 'bio-' actually means progress," explains Prof. Dr. Stefan Bringezu, coordinator of the SYMOBIO 2.0 project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
As part of the project, ifeu is working as one of eleven partners with different expertise on a monitoring system that will provide a comprehensive overview and insights into important aspects, including the main drivers and relevant change processes. The system is based on different ecological footprints (material, forestry, agricultural, water, climate) that have been analysed taking into account international trade linkages. SYMOBIO 2.0 is the continuation of the SYMOBIO project and is now intended to specify and further develop the results generated in the first phase.
More information:
- Project SYMOBIO 2.0.
- New platform: How sustainable is the German bioeconomy? Interested parties can now find the bundled knowledge on this topic on the platform monitoring-bioökonomie.de - with concise graphics and precise summaries. The data can also be browsed online. The website starts with English texts, the German version should be available by summer.
- Presserelease (in German)
