Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The BioPreferred programme was the first example of a government
procurement programme for biobased products, which was a key influence on the
development of European strategies such as the Lead Market Initiative.
8.4.3.2
Lead Market Initiative
In its efforts to develop policies to support the development of a bioeconomy, the
EU established a Lead Market Initiative for biobased products. This initiative
sought to bring together sector and policy interests to develop actions to drive the
bioeconomy forwards. One of the actions was to establish an Ad-hoc Advisory
Group for Biobased Products, which in turn published a number of what it saw as
priority actions for the EU to help develop the bioeconomy [5]. One of these was
to encourage contracting authorities in all EU Member States to give preference
to biobased products in tender specifications for public procurement exercises.
The EU responded and issued the Green Public Procurement Guidelines, though
its impact has been relatively low key to date.
8.5 Supporting Measures
The previous section identified the direct measures that policymakers can deliver
to stimulate change towards a socially oriented public-good objective and to
influence purchasing policies. But there are other actions that are also required to
stimulate effective and reliable markets for biobased materials, some of which are
dependent on government and some on actors in the market place.
On the supply side, drivers include: funding research and innovation; demon-
stration projects; and supporting early investment. Drivers of the demand side
include: the development of corporate social responsibility (CSR) schemes; and
the development of consumer confidence through (1) certification and standards
and (2) assurance and labelling. These are all discussed further in the following
sections.
8.5.1
Supply-Side Drivers
8.5.1.1
Research and Innovation
As a new and emerging sector, significant research and development is required to
optimise the use of biomass for chemical production. The expansion of the
bioeconomy as a whole has been enabled by an increase in scientific knowledge
and growing technical experience gained from pilot-scale development. The
development of biotechnology in all forms, and in thermal processing and catalytic
or biochemical reformation of syngas, has opened up the potential for a rapid
expansion in the palate of chemicals and materials that can feasibly be derived
from biomass resources at a competitive cost.
