11. Environment and sustainability

Despite the use of biogenic raw materials, it is also necessary in the context of a bioeconomy to constantly scrutinize the environmental impact of economic activity and to continuously review it from a sustainability perspective. There is no universally valid definition of sustainability, although the so-called Brundtland Report of the United Nations (UN) from 1987 entitled Our Common Future is often quoted in this context, in which sustainable development is defined as follows: Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (United Nations 1987)

Environmental management exists to reduce the negative impact of companies' economic activities on the environment as far as possible and thus support a sustainable corporate policy. This can be used in bioeconomy companies as well as in conventional companies, organizations and associations. The basic principle behind environmental management is the PDCA model (abbreviation: Plan-Do-Check-Act). This model describes a cycle that companies can go through to improve their ecological footprint. Following a commitment by the company to integrate an environmental policy into the corporate structure, measures are first identified and planned which can lead to an improvement in the company's current situation (plan or planning). In the second step, these measures are implemented and integrated into the company structure (Do, or implementation and operation). In the next step, the success of these measures is reviewed to determine whether the planned target state has been achieved (check or review and management assessment). If the target has not been achieved, the final step is to adapt or improve these measures (Act or continuous improvement). This can reduce the negative environmental impact and improve the sustainability of a company. This principle is illustrated in the following diagram:

In addition to the implementation of an environmental policy in a company structure, there is the possibility for the company or organization to obtain certificates as proof of the environmental management systems introduced as part of the environmental policy. These systems are assessed by external experts; if the specifications are met, the companies are awarded certificates. Although such certification by external experts places an additional financial burden on the company, many companies decide to take this step. The reasons for this may be to improve their image, meet customer requirements or improve their organization (processes) (UBA 2001). 

There are two different certification options or guidelines that define the environmental management procedure and thus the path to certification:

1.       ISO 14001

2.       EMAS

The international environmental management standard ISO 14001 defines a company's environmental management procedure analogous to the PDCA model described in chapter 11. Progress is monitored as part of an internal company audit. This standardized environmental management system can be audited by external certifiers (such as TÜV or DEKRA) and subsequently certified. ISO 14001 is an environmental management system used worldwide with over 300,000 certified companies and organizations in a total of 171 countries (ISO 2023). 

Compared to ISO 14001, EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) defines the environmental management system somewhat more broadly. All the requirements of ISO 14001 must be met and additional requirements are placed on the company's environmental management. For example, EMAS-certified companies must draw up an annual public environmental statement, record key indicators relating to environmental protection and have their environmental management system audited by an accredited auditor. EMAS is based on an EU regulation and therefore has a legal basis, but is only used within the EU. Unlike ISO 14001, there is an official and uniform EMAS logo, which over 4000 companies and organizations are currently permitted to use (EU 2023).
A promotional video about EMAS can be viewed at the following link: 

 

Humanity is causing a multitude of changes in the Earth's ecosystem, particularly as a result of economic activity over the last few centuries. In addition to the generally known increase in the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere and the resulting anthropogenic climate change, humans are influencing many other natural resources, such as the oceans and other bodies of water, biodiversity and soils. The following section deals with the use of soils and the change in this use from a natural area to an area used by humans. This change is referred to as land use change.

Land use change is a process that describes the conversion of land from one use to another. Initially, the original, natural landscape is converted into an area used by humans. This change can have a variety of causes, such as global population growth, the social changes that often accompany it (e.g. increasing urbanization and the expansion of transport networks) or the increasing demand for agricultural land. On the one hand, the latter is used for food production, which requires a constantly growing area of land to feed the world's population; reasons for this include population growth, eating habits (e.g. increased meat consumption and thus an increased need for arable land for growing animal feed) or other mismanagement of food resources (e.g. caused by wars or wasteful consumer behavior). On the other hand, these areas are also needed in the context of a bioeconomy for the cultivation of biomass for material use, such as cotton for the textile market, energy crops for the fuel market (e.g. oil palms or rapeseed) or lignocellulosic plants for the construction sector. The decisions we make in relation to land use have far-reaching consequences for the environment, society and the economy.

Two examples of these consequences are discussed below:

Currently, the most prominent example of land use change is probably the increasing deforestation of tropical rainforests. This is being cleared in order to be able to sell the valuable tropical timber at a profit on the one hand and to make the land usable for the cultivation of raw materials or as arable or grazing land on the other. This change in land use has a number of negative consequences for the environment. First of all, the nutrient-poor soils of the former rainforest are not suitable for permanent and sustainable agriculture, which is why the yield of the fields usually drops rapidly after around two to three annual harvests. This results in less vegetation on the land, which in turn causes increasing soil erosion. In addition, the deforestation of the tropical rainforest leads to a reduction in the habitat of a large number of animals, plants and insects, which ultimately leads to a loss of biodiversity with often unknown consequences. Furthermore, the rainforest is often referred to as the green lung of the earth because large amounts of CO2 are stored there and oxygen is produced. Any reduction in this area therefore leads to a reduction in the CO2 uptake potential and also to a partial release of the stored carbon. The following video provides a good summary of the history of deforestation in the Brazilian rainforest:

 

The destruction of the Amazon, explained

 

However, land use changes are also causing major environmental problems in Europe. Over the centuries, many moors and wetlands in Europe have been drained; the resulting fertile soils were then used as arable land. In their natural form, peatlands are a greenhouse gas sink; however, this effect is reversed when they are drained, as the peat substance is now decomposed by microorganisms. Furthermore, important biotopes are also destroyed in this case, thus reducing biodiversity.