Industrial biotechnology - More than green fuel in a dirty economy?

Sep 2009

Until now, most efforts to solve the climate crisis have focused on how to reduce the carbon footprint of our current economic system. However, this approach will not alone lead us onto the right path as it is concerned with eliminating a problem rather than building a new economy.
Efforts to solve the climate crisis must focus simultaneously and speedily on all sectors, including the bioenergy sector, and in all regions on how to reduce the carbon footprint of our current economic system. However, this approach will not lead us onto the right path if only selective actions are being taken which may focus only on short-term economic benefits and costs.
Enhancing the efficiency of the current system will not build an economy capable of providing the jobs and services needed for 9 billion people, within the limits of our planet.
Creating a new economy seems an overwhelming task to most of us and obviously no one knows how a future sustainable economy will look like. However, if we have the courage to rise to this challenge and alter our perspective we will see that certain technologies and sectors have an often overlooked potential to help us take the important steps on the path toward sustainability.
Industrial biotechnology is one such sector. Even though the sector is still in it’s infancy, it globally avoids the creation of 33 million tonnes of CO2 each year through various applications, without taking ethanol use into consideration, whilst globally emitting 2 million tonnes of CO2.
With this report, WWF sets out to explore the magnitude and nature of this sector in our search for pathways toward a green economy and a sustainable future.

By: WWF Denmark

 
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