Environmental Innovation Policy - Greater ressource efficiency and climate protection through the sustainable material use of biomass

Material use: a better option? The research project analyses the potential environmental and economic effects of increased material use of biomass.

Bio-based products often have both environmental advantages and disadvantages, and as such show many similarities to the use of biomass for energy. This has been profoundly analysed by a study for the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA). In cooperation with nova-Institut, Öko-Institut and FiFo, ifeu concludes that the environmental advantage of these uses over conventional fossil fuel-based materials are at least equal to the benefits of switching from fossil fuels to biomass for energy. Pathways applying cascading use of biomass show significant advantages.

ifeu’s contribution to the study encloses a comprehensive LCA as well as the development and proposal of sustainability criteria for material use of biomas.