Bridging the Gaps for a ‘Circular’ Bioeconomy: Selection Criteria, Bio-Based Value Chain and Stakeholder Mapping
1
Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
2
Faculty of Economics and Management, Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. MAR 2-5, Marchstraße 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2018, 10(6), 1695; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061695
Received: 20 April 2018
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Revised: 13 May 2018
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Accepted: 14 May 2018
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Published: 23 May 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Transition Towards a Bio-Based Economy: New Technologies, New Products, New Policies)
Bio-products and bio-based value chains have been identified as one of the most promising pathways to attaining a resource-efficient circular economy. Such a “valorization and value-addition” approach incorporates an intricate network of processes and actors, contributing to socio-economic growth, environmental benefits and technological advances. In the present age of limited time and funding models to achieve ambitious sustainable development targets, whilst mitigating climate change, a systematic approach employing two-tier multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) can be useful in supporting the identification of promising bio-based value chains, that are significant to the EU plans for the bio-economy. Their identification is followed by an elaborate mapping of their value chains to visualize/foresee the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges attributable to those bio-based value chains. To demonstrate this methodology, a systematic review of 12 bio-based value chains, prevalent in the EU, sourcing their starting material from biomass and bio-waste, has been undertaken. The selected value chains are mapped to visualize the linkages and interactions between the different stages, chain actors, employed conversion routes, product application and existing/potential end-of-life options. This approach will help chain-actors, particularly investors and policy-makers, understand the complexities of such multi-actor systems and make informed decisions.
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Keywords:
value chain; multi-criteria decision analysis; circular economy; value chain-mapping; bioeconomy
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MDPI and ACS Style
Lokesh, K.; Ladu, L.; Summerton, L. Bridging the Gaps for a ‘Circular’ Bioeconomy: Selection Criteria, Bio-Based Value Chain and Stakeholder Mapping. Sustainability 2018, 10, 1695. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061695
AMA Style
Lokesh K, Ladu L, Summerton L. Bridging the Gaps for a ‘Circular’ Bioeconomy: Selection Criteria, Bio-Based Value Chain and Stakeholder Mapping. Sustainability. 2018; 10(6):1695. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061695
Chicago/Turabian StyleLokesh, Kadambari, Luana Ladu, and Louise Summerton. 2018. "Bridging the Gaps for a ‘Circular’ Bioeconomy: Selection Criteria, Bio-Based Value Chain and Stakeholder Mapping" Sustainability 10, no. 6: 1695. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061695
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