Development of the Circular Bioeconomy: Drivers and Indicators

Maximilian Kardung, Kutay Cingiz, Ortwin Costenoble, Roel Delahaye, Wim Heijman, Marko Lovrić, Myrna van Leeuwen, Robert M’Barek, Hans Meijl, Stephan Piotrowski, Tévécia Ronzon, Johannes Sauer, David Verhoog, Pieter Johannes Verkerk, Maria Vrachioli, Justus Wesseler and Benz Xinqi Zhu
Additional contact information
Maximilian Kardung: Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy Group, Wageningen University, 6706 KN Wageningen, The Netherlands
Kutay Cingiz: Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy Group, Wageningen University, 6706 KN Wageningen, The Netherlands
Ortwin Costenoble: Royal Netherlands Standardization Institute, 2623 AX Delft, The Netherlands
Roel Delahaye: Statistics Netherlands, 2492 JP The Hague, The Netherlands
Wim Heijman: Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy Group, Wageningen University, 6706 KN Wageningen, The Netherlands
Marko Lovrić: European Forest Institute, 80100 Joensuu, Finland
Myrna van Leeuwen: Wageningen Economic Research, Wageningen University and Research, 2595 BM The Hague, The Netherlands
Robert M’Barek: Joint Research Centre, European Commission, 41092 Seville, Spain
Stephan Piotrowski: nova-Institute GmbH, 50354 Hürth, Germany
Tévécia Ronzon: Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy Group, Wageningen University, 6706 KN Wageningen, The Netherlands
Johannes Sauer: TUM School of Life Sciences, Production and Resource Economics, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
David Verhoog: Wageningen Economic Research, Wageningen University and Research, 2595 BM The Hague, The Netherlands
Pieter Johannes Verkerk: European Forest Institute, 80100 Joensuu, Finland
Maria Vrachioli: TUM School of Life Sciences, Production and Resource Economics, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
Benz Xinqi Zhu: TUM School of Life Sciences, Production and Resource Economics, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-24

Abstract: The EU’s 2018 Bioeconomy Strategy Update and the European Green Deal recently confirmed that the bioeconomy is high on the political agenda in Europe. Here, we propose a conceptual analysis framework for quantifying and analyzing the development of the EU bioeconomy. The bioeconomy has several related concepts (e.g., bio-based economy, green economy, and circular economy) and there are clear synergies between these concepts, especially between the bioeconomy and circular economy concepts. Analyzing the driving factors provides important information for monitoring activities. We first derive the scope of the bioeconomy framework in terms of bioeconomy sectors and products to be involved, the needed geographical coverage and resolution, and time period. Furthermore, we outline a set of indicators linked to the objectives of the EU’s bioeconomy strategy. In our framework, measuring developments will, in particular, focus on the bio-based sectors within the bioeconomy as biomass and food production is already monitored. The selected indicators commit to the EU Bioeconomy Strategy objectives and conform with findings from previous studies and stakeholder consultation. Additionally, several new indicators have been suggested and they are related to measuring the impact of changes in supply, demand drivers, resource availability, and policies on sustainability goals.

Keywords: bioeconomy; monitoring; indicators (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (36)

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