Circular bioeconomy highlighted at XV World Forestry Congress

Rach Colling on May 6, 2022

A special session on ‘The contribution of a forest circular bioeconomy to sustainable development’ was organised on 5 May at the XV World Forestry Congress by the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. The event was organised in partnership with the European Forest Institute, the Center for International Forestry Research – World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The event showcased the key contributions that the forest sector provides to the sustainable circular bioeconomy, bringing together perspectives from the public and private sector, academia and civil society, and from various geographical regions and contexts. Speakers included both policymakers, such as Minister Lee White, Minister of Water, Forests, the Sea, and Environment who spoke about the opportunities for the circular bioeconomy in Gabon, and CEOs from sustainable wood-based industry, who reflected on new innovative fields for wood products such as bamboo and cosmetics.

CBA Chair Marc Palahí set the scene, and explained that the circular bioeconomy is an opportunity to holistically rethink our land, food and energy systems to catalyse the change that industrial sectors need to become circular and carbon neutral. Over the next decades we need to put forward the greatest economic transformation in human history to move towards a climate-neutral, inclusive and nature-positive economy. “A forest-based circular bioeconomy is not just “another solution” it needs to be seen as a catalyst for changing and inspiring change in a number of sectors through insetting strategies rather than reactive offsetting tactics”, he said.

CBA members at the World Forestry Congress. Left to right: Yitagesu Tekle, EFI; Mokena Makeka, Dahlberg Advisors; Candice Taylor, New Forest Company; Stéphane Hallaire, Reforest’Action; Vicente Guallart, IAAC; Nicolas Blain, Reforest’Action

CBA Living Lab Coordinator Stéphane Hallaire explored further how to make the circular bioeconomy and restoration mainstream. He explained how the CBA Living Labs develop circular bioeconomy value chains while restoring biodiversity and local livelihoods.

More information

Speakers and programme https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en/session/2770139f-2ea5-ec11-a99b-a04a5e7d3e1c

Rewatch the video of the session

(watch also in French | Spanish | Korean )

Photo by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera