Page 35 - European Energy Innovation - spring 2018 publication
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Spring 2018 European Energy Innovation 35
BIO-ECONOMY
I have been sad to see that the All of this might sound a bit too high bio-economy research in the EU’s next
European Council is not sharing flying for the needs of present day Framework Programme on research. In
Parliament’s appetite for increased solutions. What does bio-economy offer the heart of the efforts is the Bio-Based
ambition. This is all the more in practice? Too often bio-economy Industries Joint Undertaking, which
perplexing as many Member States is referenced only as bio-energy, with has proved a success so far. Despite
have already declared their willingness ensuing battles over the role of carbon pressures to limit budgets all around,
to go further than what is required by sinks etc. It is much more. concrete actions such as the BBI-JU
the EU. I am afraid that the Council’s which offer real EU value add should
position is more influenced by a fear of One of the most concrete areas is the remain intact.
Brussels dictating the rules rather than replacement of one-use fossil-based
any sort of denial of climate action. materials with reusable and recyclable The second is the review of the Bio-
bio-based ones. The EU’s newly Economy Strategy, originally drawn
That, however, is a dangerous road proposed plastics strategy aims (in line up in 2012. The revised strategy
to go down. We need a more united with the waste hierarchy principle) at should show us a way of bridging
approach to climate change, not only reducing the amount of plastics. But it market failures and gaps for bio-based
because of the border-transgressing should also aim at replacing as much products and show where existing EU
nature of the phenomenon, but also as we can with bio-based alternatives regulation can be streamlined to open
to safeguard the interests of citizens, or bio-plastics composites. Building up more possibilities for bio-economy
consumers and businesses operating materials are another example. We and other circular economy initiatives.
in the Single Market. Deciding on the should get rid of building rules
Clean Energy Package is an important stemming out of outdated research There is no time to lose. The countries
test of the European political system. and concrete industry lobby that of the EU need to present to the
I hope in the end we can find that the prevent the extensive use of wooden rest of the world our willingness to
EU is a strong, predictable and reliable structures in buildings, both low and stop climate warming to 1.5 Celsius.
partner in global climate action. high rise buildings. Bio-economy is just one part of the
package. We are not without tools to
Although the debate has in recent In policy terms the EU can do two stop the worst, if we are just willing
year revolved around energy, I would things in the coming years to facilitate to look beyond short-term losses and
argue that energy forms only a part this change. The first step is to agree gains and invest. Without vision and
of our solution and that we are still far on a continued and enhanced role for courage we will, however, fail. l
away from actually transforming our
economic system to a sustainable one. Miapetra Kumpula-Natri
Europeans still consume about 2.5 Miapetra Kumpula-Natri (born 1972 in Vaasa, Finland) is a Member of the
times the sustainable level of natural European Parliament representing Finland, S&D Group and The Social
resources. Democratic Party of Finland.
Bio-economy is in its essence a Kumpula-Natri is a member of the ITRE Committee on Industry, Research and
concept of the next shift in our Energy, where she has focused on energy and digitalization.
economic structure, in fact the third
evolution of it. First was the agrarian She’s also a member of Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly
model, mostly based on production and Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee and
and use of natural resources. For the a substitute of the EMPL Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. In
last 200 years we have been living the addition, Kumpula-Natri is the chair of the Parliament’s Bioeconomy Working
industrial model, which has produced Group, member of the Internet Forum and member of the board of European
unforeseen levels of economic Energy Forum.
prosperity and well-being - but with
the cost of driving our ecosystem For 11 years, Mrs. Kumpula-Natri was a member of the Finnish parliament. She
towards its barriers. Therefore a third was, among other things, chairperson of the parliament’s Grand Committee.
evolution is needed - one which She’s been a member of municipal council of Vaasa for 20 years and she’s
decouples the accumulation of well- currently the chairperson of the Assembly of the Ostrobothnia Regional
being from the limits of our natural Council.
resources. Bio-economy is part of this
new phase along with digitalisation By education Mrs. Kumpula-Natri in an engineer. She’s also studied economics.
and increasing efficiency of our Mrs. Kumpula-Natri speaks Finnish, Swedish, English, French and Russian. She
industrial operations. is married and a mother of two.
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