• LCA4Bio, a 36-months European initiative with ten partners from seven countries, is at the forefront of addressing the European Union's Climate Target Plan by developing advanced assessment methodologies for bio-based systems.
  
  
• Sonae Arauco is one of the participants.
  
  
• The ground-breaking project aims to revolutionize environmental assessments, allowing to investigate the performance of bio-based products compared to fossil alternatives

The European Union's ambitious Climate Target Plan has set a formidable mandate for all economic sectors to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Responding to this imperative, the LCA4Bio project emerges as a new initiative geared towards facilitating the green transition of the European industry.

The global imperative to shift from fossil-based feedstocks and processes to bio-based systems gains momentum as the environmental impacts and depletion of fossil resources become increasingly evident. LCA4Bio stands at the forefront, addressing this challenge by developing and validating a new set of improved, harmonized, precise, reliable, and applicable environmental assessment methodologies for bio-based systems.

The primary goal of LCA4Bio is to provide a more applicable and realistic environmental assessment of bio-based systems. This approach will enable to certify the superior performance of bio-based products compared to unsustainable counterparts, aligning with the zero-pollution objectives encouraged by the European Commission. By identifying the best available technologies, LCA4Bio strives to promote sustainability in industrial procedures.

Over the next 36 months, LCA4Bio will bring together a consortium of ten partners from seven different countries, pooling their expertise to pioneer advancements in life cycle assessment methodologies. These methodologies will not only evaluate environmental impacts and circularity in bio-based systems but also serve as a foundation for certification schemes, facilitating the international trade of bio-based products.

Sonae Arauco is one of the participants on the project, and Paulo Magalhães, R&D Project Manager of Sonae Arauco, explains that “our common goal with LCA4BIO is to create precise, reliable, and harmonised evaluation tools that highlight the superior performance of bio-based products. This aligns perfectly with the European Commission’s zero-pollution objectives, emphasizing the importance of sustainable industrial practices”.  

LC4Bio will also tackle the development of new prospective life cycle assessment methodologies, accounting for up-scaling and future scenarios through the use of Integrated Assessment Models. This forward-thinking approach aims to reduce uncertainty levels and provide an accurate comparison between potential environmental impacts of emerging bio-based technologies and those already in the market.

A key aspect of the LCA4Bio project is its inclusive co-creation process, involving stakeholders across the bioeconomy value chain. This collaborative effort ensures that the methodologies developed by LCA4Bio partners align with industry requirements and are tested for adequacy.

The outcomes of LCA4Bio are expected to stimulate the growth of the European bio-based sectors, ultimately leading to a reduction in GHG emissions and other environmental impacts. By promoting circularity processes throughout the economy and society, LCA4Bio strives to contribute significantly to the European Union's overarching sustainability goals.