Climate-effective use of straw in the EU bioeconomy—comparing avoided and delayed emissions in the agricultural, energy and construction sectors
Open access
Date
2023-12Type
- Journal Article
Abstract
A transformation towards a bioeconomy is needed to reduce the environmental impacts and resource requirements of different industries. However, considering the finiteness of land and biomass, such a transition requires strategizing resource and land allocation towards activities that yield maximum environmental benefit. This paper aims to develop a resource-based comparative indicator between economic sectors to enable optimal use of biobased resources. A new methodology is proposed to analyze the climate effectiveness of using straw in the agricultural, energy and construction sectors. For this purpose, avoided and delayed emissions are analyzed for different use cases of straw and then compared. Considering only avoided emissions, the use of straw as a feedstock for bioelectricity has the highest climate effectiveness (930 kg CO2 eq./tstraw). Considering only temporal carbon storage, straw-based insulation in buildings has the highest climate effectiveness (881 kg CO2 eq./tstraw). Combining avoided and delayed emissions, the use of straw-based insulation has the highest climate effectiveness (1344 kg CO2 eq./tstraw). Today EU-Policies incentives the use of straw in the agricultural sector and the energy sector, neglecting the benefit from its use in the construction sector. The results can support policymakers' trans-sectoral incentives, where agriculture by-products are diverted towards the use of biomass that most boost economic activities and trigger maximum environmental benefit, given the local circumstances. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000640760Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Environmental Research LettersVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
IOP PublishingSubject
Bioeconomy; Straw; Carbon storage; Building; Biobased; EuropeOrganisational unit
03972 - Habert, Guillaume / Habert, Guillaume
02655 - Netzwerk Stadt u. Landschaft ARCH u BAUG / Network City and Landscape ARCH and BAUG
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