Publications

Publication:Policy Brief
 
Cover page of the report titled 'Empfehlungen für die Umsetzung eines nachhaltigen und gesellschaftlich akzeptierten Unterbodenmanagements in Deutschland' (Recommendations for the Implementation of a Sustainable and Socially Accepted Subsoil Management in Germany). Key recommendations are listed, focusing on political frameworks, value chains, collaboration with practitioners, legal clarity, and further research support.
This policy brief outlines recommendations for sustainable and socially accepted subsoil management in Germany. Subsoil, located below the plowed topsoil layer, holds essential nutrients and water reserves crucial for plant growth and sustainable bioeconomy practices. The Soil³ project (2015–2025) investigated methods to enhance subsoil usage, focusing on increasing plant root access to this layer without compromising its ecological functions.

Empfehlungen für die Umsetzung eines nachhaltigen und gesellschaftlich akzeptierten Unterbodenmanagements in Deutschland

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Publication:Book Section
 
Cover of the book "Zukünfte nachhaltiger Bioökonomie. Kommunikation und Partizipation in neuen Wirtschaftsformen"
A democratic dialogue with a broad spectrum of stakeholders and the society is considered necessary for the transformation to a sustainable bio-based economy. As such, several dedicated bioeconomy strategies across Europe and beyond outline objectives towards broader stakeholder and public engagement. In this book chapter Zoritza Kiresiewa, Laurens Duin and Holger Gerdes address the degree of participation and the role of the individual actor groups and society in strategy development processes and recommend concrete actions for more inclusive and effective stakeholder and public engagement.

Limitations of Stakeholder and Public Engagement in Bioeconomy Strategy Development Processes

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Publication:Report
 
cover of the BE-RURAL deliverable "Note on the development of a sustainability screening for regional bioeconomy strategies"
This report provides the context and justification for the development of BE-Rural's Sustainability Screening, a description of its methodological procedure, and the syntheses of results from the two experimental implementations of the approach in the Stara Zagora and Vidzeme regions, which are included in full as annexes to this report. The last chapters present the main lessons learned from these two pilots and the overall conclusions of the task.

Note on the Development of a Sustainability Screening for Regional Bioeconomy Strategies

Deliverable 5.4 H2020 Research project BE-Rural

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Publication:Document
 
Cover of the regional strategy and roadmap documents
Rural regions in Southeastern and Eastern Europe are facing multiple challenges such as a rural exodus, aging populations, a declining industrial base and low innovation performance. As such, they are particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. In response to this, stakeholders in the five BE-Rural regions developed bioeconomy strategies and roadmaps for enhanced rural development. This publication presents short summaries of the regional strategies and roadmaps focusing on the regional context in terms of available natural resources, the social, economic and political context, the strategy development process and the priorities outlined in the strategies.

Regional Strategy and Roadmap Documents

Deliverable 5.3 H2020 research project BE-Rural

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Publication:Article
 
publication's first page of the pdf
In this publication, we present the results of an acceptance study in two case study regions in Germany. We investigated farmers' and other soil experts' perceptions of subsoil amelioration as an approach to adapt to climate change. In addition, we analyzed the factors that influence their willingness to adopt specific measures to improve the subsoil. Applying q-method and focus groups, we surveyed overall 86 actors in the agricultural sector. The article is published in Frontiers in Agronomy, Volume 3, April 2021 and is available for download.

An Acceptance Analysis of Subsoil Amelioration Amongst Agricultural Actors in Two Regions in Germany

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Publication:Report
 
Front Cover of Publication
This paper provides three recommendations to improve the public acceptance of bio-based products and processes. These recommendations are accompanied by concrete actions and good practice examples, based on stakeholder feedback received during the BIOBRIDGES project (2018-2020), relevant results of other EU-funded projects, as well as the results of a targeted literature review.

Improving the Public Acceptance of Bio-Based Products and Processes at Regional and Local Level

Deliverable 5.4

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Publication:Article
 
Cover
Bioeconomy currently enjoys a high political priority; at the same time, the concept, which last received a boost in 2018 in the form of the updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy, is not without controversy and contains many conflicting goals. This is where the article by Zoritza Kiresiewa (Ecologic Institute), Franziska Wolff and Martin Möller (both Öko-Institut e.V.) comes in. The authors argue that bioeconomy can only contribute to the achievement of sustainability goals if the political framework is appropriate. Whether or not strategies will have an impact depends on each individual case. Bioeconomy pathways should be designed and tested accordingly.

Handlungsoptionen einer nachhaltigen Bioökonomiepolitik

Wo ein Wille ist, ist auch ein Weg

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Publication:Report
 
Cover of the final report "Nachhaltige Ressourcennutzung – Anforderungen an eine nachhaltige Bioökonomie aus der Agenda 2030/SDG-Umsetzung"
In this publication for the German Federal Environment Agency, the project team (Oeko-Institut, Ecologic Institute, University of Mannheim and the Institute of Development Studies) formulates requirements for a sustainable bioeconomy from the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda. They highlight that the policy goals behind specific implementation have a major impact on the sustainability of the bioeconomy. The positive potential can be unlocked primarily through goals such as ensuring global food security and reducing fossil fuels.

Nachhaltige Ressourcennutzung – Anforderungen an eine nachhaltige Bioökonomie aus der Agenda 2030/SDG-Umsetzung

Abschlussbericht

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Publication:Article
 
While circular processes offer potential for small and large companies, such processes are not (yet) established across the board. For circular processes to be applied widespread, exchange between science and companies must be improved. As part of an national research project funding scheme on the sustainable economy, three workshops were dedicated to businesses and science actors to exchange information on sustainability innovations along value chains. This German paper summarises experiences made and lessons learned from these workshops.

Circular economy und Nachhaltigkeitsinnovationen

Forschungsergebnisse mit der Praxis diskutieren

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Publication:Document
 
With the recent update of its Bioeconomy Strategy, the guidance of its advisory bodies and the engagement of regional groups and representatives, Europe has found a new track towards a sustainable bioeconomy, building on the notion that regions are the most appropriate territorial level at which to implement bioeconomy strategies. The BE-Rural project incorporates this regional focus into its core vision, putting its regional Open Innovation Platforms (OIPs) front and center in the process of studying the potential for regional bioeconomies, and articulating and implementing strategies to make them a reality.

The Macro-environment Surrounding BE-Rural's Open Innovation Platforms

Deliverable 2.2 H2020 Research project BE-Rural

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Publication:Document
 
This report outlines the conceptual framework of BE-Rural and provides practical guidance to the design and implementation of the five regional Open Innovation Platforms (OIPs) within BE-Rural. This conceptual framework aims to provide guidance regarding the overall ambition of BE-Rural, and the foundations by which the project will operate throughout its duration. The first part of this document describes the context, objectives and regional focus to be taken within the project. The second part outlines key concepts and founding principles that lay at the heart of the project. Following this, the conceptual framework of BE-Rural is presented and discussed.

Sustainability and Participation in the Bioeconomy: A Conceptual Framework for BE-Rural

Deliverable 1.1 H2020 Research project BE-Rural

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Publication:Report
 
This research report examines the concrete goals of bioeconomy policies, which actors are involved, which positions these actors take, which arguments for and against bioeconomy strategies are used, and which ethical implications the promotion of the bioeconomy could have.

Bioökonomiekonzepte und Diskursanalyse

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Publication:Article
 
Hidden beneath the humus-rich topsoil, the subsoil usually receives little attention in agricultural practice. Yet, plants cover between 10 and 80% of their nutrient and water needs from subsoils. Measures to improve the subsoil could help in bridging droughts and stabilising yields. But how do farmers and other societal actors perceive different methods for subsoil management? Ecologic Institutes's Ana Frelih-Larsen, Mandy Hinzmann and Sophie Ittner published the first exploratory research results on the societal acceptance of subsoil management in the open access journal Sustainability.

The "Invisible" Subsoil

An Exploratory View of Societal Acceptance of Subsoil Management in Germany

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Publication:Brochure
 
This brochure includes a set of infographics presenting the top 20 innovative bio-based products in Europe. Through an assessment of the active marketplace, EU-based development, innovation degree and market potential, the top 20 most innovative BBPs holding the greatest promise for commercial deployment within the next 5–10 years were identified. This selection includes engineering materials, new bioplastics, high added-value products for demanding applications in the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields as well as sustainable substitutes for critical raw materials. The brochure is available for download.

Top Emerging Bio-based Products, their Properties and Industrial Applications

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Publication:Brochure
 
Bio-based industries aim to convert biological inputs, residue and wastes into greener everyday products. The industry is small compared to more traditional ones and it is a nascent industry undergoing rapid developments. Developing bio-based products demand technological innovations and market development. The fifteen success stories of specific bio-based products in this brochure, span over nine EU Member States, and they cover a wide range of products and applications. The brochure is available for download.

Bio-based Products – from idea to market

15 EU success stories

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Publication:Brochure
 
Green growth brings about multiple social and economic benefits. Together with Ecofys, Ecologic Institute produced a brochure, which highlights examples of green growth that stem from a range of sectors (energy, buildings, transport, agriculture and industry) and are located throughout Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. The brochure presents cutting-edge technologies, forward-thinking entrepreneurs, smart combinations of financing options, and innovative project designs. The brochure is available for download.

Innovation, Renovation, Transformation

Good practice examples of projects promoting green growth across Central, Eastern and Southern Europe

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Publication:Document
 
Stakeholder and public engagement are key elements of EU policy development, as well as of responsible research and innovation. Over a period of three years, BioSTEP has designed and implemented a wide range of citizen and stakeholder engagement activities regarding the development of Europe's bioeconomy. This paper, edited by Ecologic Institute's Holger Gerdes and Zoritza Kiresiewa, presents a set of research recommendations, which builds on the lessons learned from the application of BioSTEP's participatory tools. The BioSTEP research recommendations are available for download.

Engaging Stakeholders and Citizens in the Bioeconomy

BioSTEP Research Recommendations

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Publication:Report
 
Building on the idea - namely that an open and informed dialogue on complex topics such as the bioeconomy and engaging with variety of stakeholders and the general public may bring the concept of the bioeconomy closer to the society - BioSTEP experimented with different participatory tools including workshops, living lab activities, and exhibitions. This report describes the lessons learned from BioSTEP’s engagement activities and provides recommendations for future EU research.

Engaging Stakeholders and Citizens in the Bioeconomy

Lessons learned from BioSTEP and recommendations for future research

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
After two years of research and stakeholder consultation, the BioSTEP consortium, led by Ecologic Institute, finalized the BioSTEP policy paper. This paper concludes five recommendations, aiming to support the revision of the European Bioeconomy Strategy. These recommendations were amended and complemented at the BioSTEP Forum, which was held in Brussels in March 2016. The policy paper is available for download.

Creating Networks for the Transition to a Bio-based and Circular Economy

BioSTEP Policy Paper

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Publication:Case Study
 
How have stakeholders and citizens participated in the development, implementation and monitoring of regional bioeconomy strategies? How has the involvement of stakeholders and citizens affected the strategies' development, implementation and monitoring? What are good practice examples of stakeholder and citizen participation in national and regional bioeconomy strategies? These and other questions are addressed in this report on regional bioeconomy strategies across Europe, focused on four regional case studies: Scotland, South-West Netherlands, Saxony-Anhalt and Veneto. Ecologic Institute was tasked with researching the Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS) in Saxony-Anhalt (Germany). The report is available for download.

Case Studies of Regional Bioeconomy Strategies across Europe

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Publication:Report
 
This BioSTEP document builds on the previous Deliverable 2.1 which collected information about the impacts of bioeconomy-related products in a database. Rather than attempting to exhaustively list the whole plethora of products and processes in the bioeconomy, the database presents a taxonomy of the main product categories, production processes and types of feedstock in the bioeconomy as well as some salient sustainability impacts and governance issues. The document is available for download.

Summary Report on the Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts of the Bioeconomy

Promoting stakeholder engagement and public awareness for a participative governance of the European bioeconomy

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Publication:Report
 
Overbeek, Greet; Erik de Bakker; Zoritza Kiresiewa 2016: Review of Bioeconomy Strategies at Regional and National Levels. Promoting stakeholder engagement and public awareness for a participative governance of the European bioeconomy.

Review of Bioeconomy Strategies at Regional and National Levels

Promoting stakeholder engagement and public awareness for a participative governance of the European bioeconomy

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
Waste-based bio-ethanol has the potential to both fight climate change and reduce land competition. However, in order to unlock its potential, support for research and development, as well as an enabling political framework, are needed. In this policy brief, Ecologic Institute's Dr. Martin Hirschnitz-Garbers and Jorrit Gosens explain the technology's need of further research and development. The policy brief is available for download.

Producing Bio-Ethanol from Residues and Wastes

A technology with enormous potential in need of further research and development

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Publication:Report
 
The German Federal Agency of Environment (UBA) published a synthesis report in October 2015. The report summarises major findings of the research and discussions undertaken in the project "Global Land Use and Sustainability (GLOBALANDS)", in which the Ecologic Institute played a major role. The synthesis report describes future pathways towards global sustainable land use and presents recommendations for German policy. The report ends with remaining questions, which need further investigation and discussion. It is available for download.

Resource-Efficient Land Use – Towards a Global Sustainable Land Use Standard (GLOBALANDS)

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Publication:Article
 
In times of conflicting environmental objectives, the bioeconomy has evolved as one of the most contested fields in resource and climate policies. This article by Timo Kaphengst and Stephanie Wunder stresses the overall scarcity of land as a significant obstacle for further expansion of biomass production for the bioeconomy. The authors argue for a more demand-driven strategy to alleviate stress on land ecosystems. The article is available for download.

Bioökonomie und Landkonflikte

Genug Land für alle(s)?

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Publication:Document
 
In this discussion paper Timo Kaphengst from Ecologic Institute approaches the question of how sustainable land use can be defined at a global scale. The paper thereby contributes to the concept of sustainable land use governance currently developed in the GLOBALANDS project. The discussion paper is available for download.

Towards a Definition of Global Sustainable Land Use?

A discussion on theory, concepts and implications for governance

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
In the early 2000s, biofuels were seen as a panacea for several environmental and economic challenges. In more recent years, however, their promotion has faded substantially. With the ongoing expansion of biofuel production worldwide, serious doubts have been raised about their sustainability and potential to reach environmental targets. This Ecologic Brief provides an assessment of the extent to which social aspects of biofuel production are addressed in current EU policies. It also explores possible ways of enhancing, reshaping, or extending existing policies in order to ensure the sustainable production of biofuels. The Ecologic Brief is available for download.

The Social Dimension of EU Biofuel Policy

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Publication:Report
 
In order to meet its renewable energy targets by 2020, the EU is likely to increase its demand for biomass, not only for biofuel crops but also for woody biomass. A significant portion of this biomass will likely come from developing countries, particularly those in West and Central Africa, as well as Latin American countries. This demand can have significant negative impacts in these developing regions, including environmental degradation and threats to food security. In this brief for the European Parliament, researchers at Ecologic Institute (Stefanie Wunder, Timo Kaphengst, Krista Timeus and Kristine Berzins) analyze some of those main impacts, focusing particularly on woody biomass. The study is available for download.

Impact of EU Bioenergy Policy on Developing Countries

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Publication:Report
 
A new publication in the journal "Ecological Indicators" by Tanja Srebotnjak, from Ecologic Institute, and Peter Hardi, from the Central European University in Hungary, examines the potentials for sustainable bioenergy production in Bulgaria, Romania and the former Soviet republics in Central Asia. The study draws on official statistics and modeling results and concludes that bioenergy potentials are highest in Bulgaria, Romania, and Kazakhstan but depend on several factors including crop choice, climatic conditions, availability of suitable land, and the institutional and legal infrastructure.

Prospects for Sustainable Bioenergy Production in Selected Former Communist Countries

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Publication:Article
 
The expanding use of biomass as an energy source has been accompanied by a growing range of certification and standard-setting schemes in an attempt to ensure the sustainability of biofuel production. The result has added to the confusion in an already crowded certification market, but an opportunity to develop a streamlined global standard-setting system arises from this complexity. In this article, Timo Kaphengst, Mandy Ma and Stephanie Schlegel of Ecologic Institute outline how some of the innovative ideas coming from the biofuel certification and standardisation discussions can be applied to create a global generic standard-setting scheme for natural resources.

At a Tipping Point?

How the Debate on Biofuel Standards Sparks Innovative Ideas for the General Future of Standardisation and Certification Schemes

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Publication:Report
 
With the plenary speech of the 3rd bioenergy forum Dr. Bernhard Dreher from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment and Jessica Löhndorf, Fellow at Ecologic Institute introduce the European sustainability requirements for biofuels and vegetable oils, which were transposed into German legislation in 2009. Germany was the first member state to implement the sustainability certification in Europe. The authors explain their practical implementation in Germany.

Europäische und nationale Nachhaltigkeitsanforderungen bei der energetischen Nutzung von Biomasse

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Publication:Conference Paper
 
Dworak, Thomas; Ulrike Eppler; Jan-Erik Petersen et al. 2008: A Review of the Possible Impact of Biomass Production from Agriculture on Water. Background paper for the conference "WFD meets CAP - Looking for a consistent approach". Background paper for the European conference "Water Framework Directive and Agriculture", 21-22 September 2007, Paris.

A Review of the Possible Impact of Biomass Production from Agriculture on Water

Background paper for the conference "WFD meets CAP – Looking for a consistent approach"

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Publication:Article
 
The EU has set ambitious targets to raise the share of renewable energies, particularly biofuels. This article, written by Stephanie Schlegel and Timo Kaphengst, discusses the role that bioenergy plays in the European policy context and the approach the EU is currently following to ensure the sustainability of biofuels. It addresses the limits of the chosen approach, concluding that certification schemes can not serve as the only safeguard for sustainable bioenergy, but need to be complemented by other tools and policies.

European Union Policy on Bioenergy and the Role of Sustainability Criteria and Certification Systems

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Publication:Article
 
Biomass constitutes an important but limited renewable energy source for the future. In this article, Timo Kaphengst discusses sustainability aspects of biomass use for bioenergy in the European context. The article is available for download.

Nachhaltige Biomassenutzung in Europa

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
The European Community has undertaken an ambitious program aimed at improving the sustainability of energy use across Europe. At the heart of this program are efforts by the European Union and its Member States to encourage the use of renewable sources of energy. Bioenergy has become a focal point in efforts to increase the use of renewable energy. This policy brief summarises the development and status quo of the EU bioenergy policy framework and links it to the current debate on sustainability of bioenergy.

European Union Policy on Bioenergy

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Publication:Report
 
On behalf of the German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA), Ecologic Institute examined the impacts of renewable resources on soil quality and options for sustainable cultivation. The study is available for download.

Bodenschutz und nachwachsende Rohstoffe

Gutachten für die Kommission Bodenschutz des Umweltbundesamtes

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