One important aim in SusValueWaste is to give policymakers input of how to govern the transition to a sustainable bioeconomy. So far in 2017, the project has organised two different events where policy for the bioeconomy has been the main focus.
Implementation of the Bioeconomy strategy
Thomas Malla – Project leader of the Bioeconomy Strategy
The Norwegian Government launched its Bioeconomy strategy in late 2016. To give us a proper introduction, Thomas Malla from The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries gave a presentation of the strategy at our policy workshop in January. He talked about the Government’s overall ambitions and aims and, also about the more specific planning that lies ahead. At this roundtable workshop, various stakeholders representing industry, public administration and NGO’s were present to discuss the suggested policies and their implications. Innovation Norway and The Research Council of Norway who will be two important actors that have the responsibility to implement the strategy, were also attending.
Stimulating the multi-polar bioenergy sector
Professor Tomas Kåberger. Photo: Vattenfall
14th of March we organised a seminar together with Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI) and the TIK-centre at University of Oslo. Professor of Industrial Energy Policy, Tomas Kåberger, at Chalmers University gave a talk about the challenges in the bioenergy industry and the prospects ahead. Kåberger who has a background both from academia, industry, and involvement in environmental initiatives, has worked with bioenergy-topics for decades, and is therefore in a position to give well-founded arguments. He pointed at the various and often conflicting perceptions about bioenergy and biofuels, most incorporate some elements of the truth. These range from a strong belief in biofuels as a sustainable choice to an energy type stealing resources better fit for human consumption. As policy recommendation, Kåberger called for robust governance based on experience-based knowledge. He also encouraged EU-politicians to look to some inspiring industry examples such as the Norrköping conglomerate in the Nordic region.
FNI article from the seminar: Bioenergy in Europe: Green and clean or dark and dirty?
SusValueWaste policy brief
SusValueWaste has gathered inputs from the two seminars together with an overview of relevant research literature in a policy brief. It highlights the challenge of creating good policies based on divergent objectives and logics which are represented among the numerous actors involved in the cross-sectorial bioeconomy. The brief encourages strong predictable policies with a long-term perspective, and calls for policy coordination across multiple policy spheres and policy levels.
