Increasing the environmental performance of industrial processes in bio-based sectors: construction, woodworking, textiles, pulp and paper and bio-chemicals

Expected Outcome:

The successful proposal will support circular bio-based systems in industrial sectors in line with the European Green Deal and its zero pollution ambition and 2030 Climate Target Plan by increasing the environmental performance and sustainability of processes, and their ability to reverse climate change, restore biodiversity and protect air, water and soil quality along industrial value chains, within EU and across borders.

Project results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcome:

• Improvement of the environmental performance of industrial processes in the following bio-based sectors: construction, woodworking, textiles, pulp and paper, and bio-chemicals.

Scope:

Proposals under this topic should focus on all of the following industrial bio-based sectors: construction, woodworking, textiles, pulp and paper, and bio-chemicals.

Proposals should:

1. Identify and analyse case studies for each aforementioned industrial bio-based sector at the local (regional, rural, urban or coastal) or international scale within the EU and Associated Countries, and collect data and figures on the environmental performance of industrial processes in these sectors.
2. Improve existing and/or develop new methodologies to assess the environmental impacts of these processes. The assessment should use, when possible, the Life Cycle Assessment methodology (in line with the existing international standards, the European Commission’s Product Environmental Footprint method^[1] and other relevant sources of information), and include, but not limited to, the following environmental impacts: GHG emissions and carbon footprint, emissions to air/water/soil, water and primary energy use, biodiversity and ecosystem services. The assessment methodology should also look at social and economic aspects. Relevant data may feed into the European Platform on Life Cycle Assessment^[2].
3. Assess and analyse the environmental impacts and trade-offs of bio-based processes identified in a) based on the methodology developed in b).
4. Identify and evaluate possible solutions to improve the environmental performance of bio-based processes based on c). The aspects to be evaluated include, but are not limited to the following: GHG emissions reduction, resource and energy efficiency, shift to renewable energy sources, enhanced circularity of materials (including upcycling and cascading use of biomass), non-toxic substances used in the processes, replacement of toxic substances with non-toxic ones, minimisation of residual waste at all phases of the processes, efficient recovery of any waste and residual flows.
5. Demonstrate, where possible, the best solutions identified under point d) in order to evaluate their effectiveness and assess monitoring procedures.
6. Develop recommendations and guidelines to improve the environmental performance of processes in each of the aforementioned industrial bio-based sector. These should include a prioritisation of solutions and recommendations for modifications in specific processes and preliminary indications for monitoring procedures.

Proposals should include a task dedicated to sharing methodologies and findings with projects funded within this topic. Moreover, they should build synergies with research and innovation projects funded under Horizon Europe notably under “HORIZON-CL6-2021-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-05: Environmental sustainability criteria for biological resources production and trade in bio-based systems: impacts and trade-offs”, and where relevant, seek complementarities and capitalise on the results of other past and ongoing research projects (especially under the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking).

In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.

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[1] https://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/smgp/dev_methods.htm

[2] https://eplca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/