Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Bio- based ...

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European Commission - DG Research

Directorate Environment

Unit I.3 « Environmental Technologies and Pollution Prevention »

Mr Michele GALATOLA

OECD Workshop on the Sustainability Assessment of Bio-based products

23-24 July, Montreal

Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Bio-

based products: current activities and future

options

EU Institutions

Court of Auditors

The European Parliament

The Council of Ministers

Committee of the Regions

Court of Justice

European Commission

(27 Commissioners,

36 DGs)

Economic and Social Committee

SG. RELEX ENTR ENV SANCO JRC

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IEIPSC …..IPTS

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Is “bio” enough?

Origin of material Environmental performance

Example

Renewable Biodegradable Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)

Non-renewable Biodegradable Polycaprolactone (PCL)

Renewable Non-biodegradable Polyethylene (PE) from sugar cane

Non-renewable Non-biodegradable Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)

Biodegradability is linked to the structure of the polymerchain; it does NOT depend on the origin of the raw materials

Is “bio” enough?the credibility issue

The fact that a product is “bio-based” is not alone a proof of its (environmental) sustainability

For example, the 14C method is the only test method which can beused to determine unequivocally the amount of renewable raw materialin any given product.

HOWEVER, it is worth noting that this method only relates to the originof the carbon content of the final product. It does not include anyconsideration of the origin of the energy used in production, distributionand disposal of the material, which requires a full Life CycleAssessment (LCA) if the true environmental impacts of any material isto be assessed.

Life Cycle Thinking in EU policies (examples)

• Integrated Product Policy (IPP)

• Lead Market Initiative (LMI)

• Eco-Design (EuP) Directive

• Sustainable Consumption and Production Action Plan (SCP/SIP)

• Waste Framework Directive

• Bio-Waste Green Paper

• Fuel Directive

• Renewable Energy Directive

• Upcoming European Environmental Technology Verification System (EU ETV)

• …

Necessity of Life Cycle Thinking in Policy and Business

Avoid shifting-of-burdens:

• from one stage in a product’s life cycle to another

• among countries, acting in a global market

• across different environmental and health impacts

• from one generation to another

• across different impacts (environmental, economic, social)

Lead Market Initiative

Legislation and policies• Coherence of legislation on waste, recovery and recycling related to

bio-based products and in comparison with others

• Ensure that biomass-related legislation encourages a sustainable useof biomass for bio-based products

Encourage Green Public Procurement for bio-based products• Introduction of requirements for environmental sustainability in

tender specifications (16% of GDP in EU)

-1st step: HOW to tender (EU guidelines)-2nd step: WHAT to tender

European Standards for bio-based products: Mandate M/429

• Elaboration of a standardization programme for bio-based products:

– a review of existing standards (including possible revisions, and the prospect of a single bio-based product standard),

– a programme of standards (including a roadmap),

• Creation of BT/WG 209 Bio-based products to execute the work

BT/WG 209 Bio-based products had kick-off meeting on 28 April

Divided tasks among BT/WG and it’s two Task Groups (definitionsand terminology, gap analysis, identification of research needs)

Finalized Business Plan

Last meeting: 30 June

Timeframe - to finalize its report by July 2010

Bio-polymers: CEN/TC 249 Plastics

WG 17 Biopolymers established in October 2008, active since January2009

Last meeting: 9 June, 2009

WI00249736 prCEN/TR.15932 Recommendation for terminology andcharacterisationWI00249737 CEN/TS Determination of biobased carbon contentWI00249738 CEN/TS Requirements for claims on selectedcharacteristics

Expected timeframe: TSs available in 2010 - ENs available in 2012

Bio-lubricants: CEN/TC 19 Gaseous and liquid fuels, lubricantsand related products of petroleum, synthetic and biological origin

Last meeting: 14-15 May, 2009 - Decision on new WG (33)Bio-lubricants

Timeframe: TS available in 2010

The European standards should cover the following aspects:

• Biodegradability (for bio-lubricants only)• Product functionality• Impact on GHG emissions and raw material consumption• Measurement methods, test methods, and LCA procedures

Life Cycle Thinking is essential but …

- No common or authoritative basis to ensure consistency and quality

- Limited compatibility of data from different sources and countries

(methods, formats, …)

- Dependence on expertise of single consultants/contractors

- Increasing number of inconsistent schemes, life cycle data, methods,

Growing global demands for LCT/LCA but conflicting messages

Limited confidence in studies and instruments amongst some

stakeholders

Life Cycle

Assessments

ISO 14040, 14044

Overarching General Guidance -

Life Cycle Data/Methods and Assessments

Documentation, Nomenclature,

Terminology

Review

International Reference Life Cycle DataSystem (ILCD) Handbook

Documentation, Nomenclature,

Terminology

Life Cycle Inventory

Guidance

Life Cycle Impact

Assessment Guidance

• Basis for coherence, quality-assurance, and acceptance

• Complete, independent, global system from authoritative

organisations

• Consulted with various advisory groups

• Based on existing standards and best practice

International ReferenceLife Cycle Data System (ILCD)

Benefits of consistent, robust, quality-assured life cycle data and methods

Coherence across business and policy instruments

– Consistent messages for decision support

– “Level playing field”, especially for product comparisons

Reduction in hidden bias and unfounded claims

Reduced dependence on single contractors

Reduction in reporting requirements

Better data availability / reduced costs

Increased stakeholder acceptance

More sustainable consumption and production patterns

ILCD Data Network

European Reference Life Cycle

Database

National

Database FCompany X

Business

Association Y

Consultant H

Research

Project Z

Handbook

International ReferenceLife Cycle Data System (ILCD)

ILCD Data

Network of

consistent,

quality-assured

LCA data

• Decentralised

• Global, open. Only requirement: Data compliant with ILCD Handbook (easier “entry level” for build up phase)

• Not in competition to any other database, including commercial databases: Data provider determine terms and conditions

• Data registry

• Data editor, compliance tools, templates … are provided as free support tools

National

Database FCompany X

Business

Association Y

Consultant H

Research

Project Z

Advisory Groups

LCIA method developers Advisory Group, developers of :

CML 2001, Eco-indicator 99, EDIP97 and EDIP2003, EPS, Impact 2002+,

LUCAS, ReCiPe, LIME, TRACI

Business Advisory Group

16 EU-level associations: ACE, ACEA, CEI-Bois, CEMBUREAU, CEWEP,

EAA, ECI, EUROFER, EUROGYPSUM, FEFCO, IMA-Europe, LDAI,

MARCOGAZ, PlasticsEurope, SLF, TBE

LCA tool and database Advisory Group, developers of:

BREEAM, CMLCA, EcoSME, EDIP, EIME, GaBi, KCL-Eco, LCA-Evaluator,

LCAit, LEGEP, MIPS, NLZ-Data, SimaPro, UMBERTO

Early invited consultations of international organisations and non-EU countries

• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

• World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)

• Brazil

• China

• Japan

• Malaysia

• Thailand

Disclaimer: Involvement in drafting teams, Advisory Groups and invited consultations, does not indicate agreement or endorsement

Biorefinery Joint Call :Overall Aim and Topics

Aims at the research, development and integration of innovative technologies to prove the viability of advanced biorefineries taking into account the entire value chain and sustainability issues

Two topics / Two Instruments / Two Budgets

Collaborative Project (CP) « Sustainable Biorefineries » -€ 55 M

Co-ordination and Support Action (CSA) « Enhancing exchange of information, synergies and cross-fertilization between projects in the field of Biorefineries » - € 2 M

“Sustainable Biorefineries”: Scope

Sustainable processing of biomass into building blocks for production of bio-based chemicals, materials, second generation biofuels, power and heat

Address the entire value chain, from production of feedstock to end product

Integrated multi-disciplinary approach, notably by involving the development of thermo-chemical and biochemical technologies

Demonstrate performance, sustainability and feasibility at least at pilot scale in an integrated approach

Demonstrate the part of the biorefinery complex that is closer to the market at industrial pilot plant scale

Assess for the entire value chain the environmental, economic and social sustainability, including: competition for food and biomass resources, GHG net balance, impact on water and land use, etc.

Other Research activities

Innovation in Life Cycle Analysis for Sustainability (deeper andbroader LCA) (CALCAS)

Sustainability Assessment of new and existing pervasiveTechnologies (PROSUITE)

Improved Life Cycle Impact Assessment methods and factors (LC-IMPACT)

Operational ILCD guidelines for LCA studies in the Fuel Cells andHydrogen sectors

Drivers for an internationallyco-ordinated solution

• Global environmental problems, including transboundary issues

• Globally inter-connected life cycles of all goods and services

• Necessity to avoid unnecessary costs to private and public sector for repeated data collection, calculation, reporting and as result of conflicting LCA studies and instruments (e.g. EPDs, Ecolabels, Carbon footprint, etc.)

• Necessity to avoid trade barriers related to environmental policies

• Interest in compatibility among guidances developed presently in many countries for National LCA database activities

• Need for ensuring quality of LC studies in globally exploding “life cycle” market (Carbon footprint-effect)

Recommendations - 1

We need to encourage the transition FROM a product-basedeconomy TO a system-based economy

Eco-efficiency should be always a driver when taking “strategic”decisions at macro/meso level

No shift of burdens shall be allowed.

Recommendations - 2

Decisions should be based on the Best Available Informationavailable, NOT on perfect information.

Quantitative and qualitative information on the three pillars ofSustainability should separately be provided to decision-makers. They should then apply their own weighting (if any)according to their priorities.

Find an international agreement on a common approach (e.g.LCA) and build together the different pieces to make it fullyoperational

Main limitations, gaps, uncertainties

Data quality

Allocation methods

Land use changes

Rebound effects

References

ILCDhttp://lct.jrc.ec.europa.eu/eplca/deliverables/international-reference-life-cycle-data-system-ilcd-handbook

Lead Market Initiativehttp://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/innovation/policy/lead-market-initiative/index_en.htm

Biorefinery R&Dhttp://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/rtd/susbioref/library

CALCAS (EU RTD project)www.calcasproject.net

American Chemical Society ConferenceSan Francisco, March 2010

Sustainability Assessment of Biorefineries: system level analysis

using Life Cycle Assessment

M. Galatola, S. Pontoglio, A. Tilche

Thank you for your attention

Michele GALATOLADG Research – Directorate Environment

Unit I.3 “Environmental Technologies and Pollution Prevention”

Email: michele.galatola@ec.europa.eu

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