Topic: Biobased Transitions: Scale now!
Speaker: Martijn Zieverink, Professor Biobased Transitions – MNEXT
Moderator: Annine Rozema, Researcher Biobased Construction – MNEXT
Description:
As the energy transition is slowly gaining momentum, the materials transition must happen next. One subset of the materials transition is the so-called Biobased transition, which can be defined as the switch from fossil feedstocks to renewable carbon, especially in the petrochemical industry.
In this Lunch & Learn Martijn Zieverink sketched out the magnitude of both the problem and of potential solutions. A major problem is one of scale: if existing industries are not willing (or able) to change fast enough, new industries have to be built. This will take both time and huge amounts of capital, both of which are in short supply. Pricing is a systemic problem: fossil carbon is simply too cheap when taking into account all the environmental and societal damage it causes after use.
There are also some opportunities; a switch to renewable feedstocks allows a chance for a more equitable distribution of value. And large organic streams that are now considered waste have the capacity to become valuable commodities.
As the planet is racing towards a 1.5 degree average temperature rise, the question is no longer if there will be an overshoot but how large it will be. Biobased transitions will have an important role to play in mitigating the causes of climate change.
Presentation:
Presentation Martijn Zieverink
Link to recording of the session: