29 Aug CALIMERO PROJECT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES FOR EUROPEAN BIO-BASED INDUSTRIES

CALIMERO  is a new EU-funded Horizon Europe project presented and coordinated by Contactica

CALIMERO (Industry CAse studies anaLysis to IMprove EnviROnmental performance and sustainability of bio-based industrial processes) is a European project, which aims to improve current Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) methodologies of certain sectors from bio-based industries. Current methods lack of some important factors which will be taken into account in order to have a broader picture of bio-based industries’ sustainability performance.   Improving these methodologies, then, is key towards a greener and more sustainable continent.

Nowadays, 51% of the greenhouse gas emissions released in the European Union comes from European industries, so it is urgent to find ways to reduce them, as well as dealing with all pollutant releases. Assessing industries processes, in order to determine which systems are not properly designed to optimize the use of resources along the whole life cycle – using a life cycle holistic approach and trying to make them more efficient and environmentally sustainable – is a good way to improve the situation.

At the moment, the standard used at the EU to analyse and harmonize Life Cycle Assessment methodologies for products is the PEF (Product Environmental Footprint). It has some relevant gaps for sustainability measurements, which CALIMERO expects to fill: biodiversity and ecosystem services impacts assessment methodologies, relevant toxicity characterization factors as well as dynamic systems to account GHG emissions or methods to include circularity, criticality and socio-economic indicators.

Transitioning to a bioeconomy or a bio-based low-carbon economy with circular material flows is a high political priority at all levels. It is also part of the European Union Industrial Policy Strategy, the European Green Deal, the 2030 Climate Target Plan and the Bioeconomy strategy. The presence of bio-based industries from the construction, woodworking, textile, pulp & paper and biochemicals sectors in the consortium provides a valuable perspective of their needs towards sustainability. With this frame available for them, it is possible to reduce environmental impacts byidentifying the main sources of pollutants and analysing potential solutions to decrease environmental impacts, considering also economic and social dimensions. With this approach, CALIMERO aims to help mitigate climate action and adapt to climate change.

Using the PEF indicators and adding those pointed out by CALIMERO can help create a bio-based industries’ frame for them to evolve in a more sustainable way. The consortium counts on the valuable insights and data of several bio-based industries to develop its methodology, which will be useful in order to identify and propose sectorial and cross-sectorial solutions to tackle sustainability hotspots; as well as to connect the industries needs with the sustainable guidelines that the project will develop.

The project is funded in the topic HORIZON-CL6-2021-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-06 by the European Research Executive Agency. It is a Research and Innovation Action project with a budget of 3,518,900.00, with a 100% of funding. CALIMERO is coordinated by Contactica and will last for three years. The consortium is formed by 12 partners from 7 countries.

If you want more information, you can check all of Contactica’s EU funded projects