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The report details a five-day event in February 2020 focused on waste sector climate mitigation in West Africa. It highlights the development of national biogas and compost strategies in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, shares biodigester success from Burkina Faso and waste recovery projects from Madagascar, and outlines a technical training program on GHG MRV systems to ensure transparency in NDC implementation.

The workshop, supported by the Government of Canada, UNEP, and SEI, focused on the waste sector's role in achieving NDCs in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. Key activities included the development of national biogas and compost strategies and training on MRV systems to ensure transparency in GHG emission reductions. The event also featured experience sharing from Burkina Faso, Madagascar, and the ECOWAS Commission, emphasizing the need for private sector involvement, circular economy models, and regional harmonization of climate policies.

The Agenda 2030 Compass is a proof-of-concept tool developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute, Jernkontoret, and Swedish steel producers to evaluate how strategic decisions impact the 17 SDGs. Unlike traditional SDG measurement, the Compass uses a future-oriented, cross-impact methodology to assess direct and indirect effects of new products or policies. Piloted through workshops with approximately 100 participants, the tool was used to compare options such as the use of metallurgic slags and the development of 'green' heavy-duty vehicles. The findings suggest the Swedish steel industry can significantly contribute to the 2030 Agenda and that the methodology is applicable across various industrial and government sectors.

The document details a February 2020 event supported by the Government of Canada to help Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal reduce greenhouse gas emissions through waste management. It covers national strategies for composting and biogas, regional perspectives from ECOWAS, and a technical training program on MRV systems to ensure transparency in climate action.

The report analyzes the bioeconomy landscape in Colombia, identifying a predominant 'bio-resources' vision that balances economic growth with environmental sustainability. Through a multi-stakeholder workshop, it explores sectoral visions for agriculture, biochemistry, bio-pharmaceuticals, and bioenergy, emphasizing the need for territorial development and the use of residual biomass. The document highlights critical sustainability gaps, including the risk of biodiversity loss if species are valued only for commercial advantage, the lack of formal land property rights for 60% of rural properties, and poor road infrastructure, with 75% of tertiary roads in poor condition. It concludes that a holistic, decentralized governance approach is necessary to align the bioeconomy with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

A coalition of European civil society organisations urges the EU to align its Industrial Strategy with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement target, advocating for climate neutrality by 2040 and a 65% emissions reduction by 2030. The recommendations emphasize a transition to a circular economy, the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies, and the prioritisation of renewable electrification over hydrogen and CCS. The authors call for a 'just transition' that protects vulnerable communities and workers through retraining and the exclusion of fossil fuel investments from the Just Transition Mechanism.

The document examines the use of gypsum, an industrial by-product from phosphorus fertilizer extraction, to mitigate nutrient pollution in the Baltic Sea. Pilot projects in Finland, including Project SAVE and research in the River Vantaanjoki basin, indicate that gypsum improves soil structure and reduces phosphorus losses to waterways by approximately 50%. While the practice is recommended for coastal drainage areas, researchers caution against its use in lake drainage basins or groundwater recharge areas due to the risk of sulfate loading and subsequent eutrophication. Large-scale application across Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Poland could potentially achieve 10% of the phosphorus reductions targeted by the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan.

The Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster, managed by Słupsk Waterworks, integrates wastewater treatment, biogas generation, and waste recycling to provide stable, low-cost renewable energy to local businesses and facilities. By utilizing a self-sufficient distribution network to bypass coal-based energy suppliers, the cluster demonstrates a decentralized approach to the circular economy. Key outputs include the BIOTOP phosphorus-rich fertilizer and a renewable energy sharing system linking 20 businesses and city facilities. The document argues that national policy changes and faster implementation of EU directives are necessary to scale such models and overcome barriers posed by traditional energy companies.

The document examines two policy options recommended by a 2018 Swedish Government inquiry: a total ban on sewage sludge reuse or a limited ban allowing application only if strict quality standards are met. It highlights that while both aim to reduce environmental risks and improve phosphorus recycling, a total ban would render existing investments in certification programs like REVAQ obsolete and necessitate costly transitions to incineration and ash-based phosphorus recovery. Using Uppsala as an example, the brief argues that a limited ban is preferable as it protects upstream pollution reduction efforts and preserves the value of organic matter in sludge.

The document traces the development of the bioeconomy concept from its roots in biotechnology and life sciences to a broader policy framework aimed at sustainability and climate goals. It highlights the EU's leadership in establishing bioeconomy strategies, which have influenced national policies globally. The text distinguishes between biotechnology-centered and transformation-centered approaches, while emphasizing that bio-based products are not inherently sustainable. It also discusses the rise of regional bioeconomy clusters and the need for participatory governance and life-cycle assessments to ensure genuine ecological benefits.

The report analyzes Bolivia's quinoa sector through a 'value web' lens, identifying that while the country has high biocapacity and biodiversity, the industry remains heavily reliant on exporting bulk seeds. It highlights the underutilization of quinoa biomass—specifically saponins and residual stems/husks—and identifies critical gaps in public financing and knowledge exchange between industry and research institutions. The authors warn that current policies favoring specific varieties like quinoa real and organic monocultures may threaten biodiversity and climate resilience.

WWF argues that while biobased and biodegradable plastics can support a circular economy, they are not standalone solutions to plastic pollution and must be managed through strict, metric-based assessments and proper infrastructure to avoid environmental trade-offs.

Carbon Market Watch urges the European Commission to expand the New Circular Economy Action Plan beyond textiles, construction, and electronics to include heavy industries like steel, chemicals, and cement. The organization highlights that resource-intensive industries are the EU's third-largest polluters and could reduce emissions by 56% by 2050 through circular models. Specific recommendations include mandatory recycled content for products and the implementation of CO2 performance standards at the material and product level.

The research identifies the most common ecotechnologies used for nutrient and carbon recovery in agriculture, highlighting soil amendments, anaerobic digestion, and (vermi)composting as the most prevalent methods, with manure serving as the primary waste source.

The document defines sustainable material management infrastructure as assets that reduce waste generation by promoting recovery, reuse, and recycling. It distinguishes between 'grey' infrastructure (e.g., unregulated landfills, incineration without energy recovery) and 'green' infrastructure (e.g., sorting facilities, composting, waste-to-energy). The guide details the environmental, economic, and social shortcomings of business-as-usual (BAU) scenarios—such as GHG emissions, resource scarcity, and public health risks—while highlighting the benefits of green investments, including carbon footprint reduction and green job creation. It also analyzes risks to project financing, such as volatile commodity prices and regulatory uncertainties, and provides a comprehensive overview of policy interventions, measurement indicators, and a detailed breakdown of costs and revenues for various waste management technologies.

The report details a policy dialogue workshop in Tallinn, Estonia, aimed at designing pathways toward a sustainable bioeconomy in the Baltic Sea region. Participants identified energy as the primary driving sector and emphasized the need for high-value-added products, localized value chains, and a shift in consumer thinking. Five key enabling factors were identified: clear policy goals (including carbon taxes and national strategies), support for research and innovation through multi-helix interaction models, public procurement and education to drive demand, cross-sector cooperation to manage biomass competition, and the integration of circularity to preserve biodiversity. The document also reflects on the pilot methodology, noting that the pre-selected global sustainability scenario was too general and that future workshops should group participants by economic sector rather than organization type.

The report details a participatory workshop in Thailand where stakeholders from agriculture, biotechnology, and social science backgrounds developed three distinct visions for a sustainable bioeconomy. These visions range from an ecology-focused approach prioritizing farmer well-being and environmental sustainability to a technology-driven approach focused on R&D and economic growth. The analysis emphasizes the importance of public-private partnerships, regional ASEAN cooperation, and the specific cultural importance of rural development in the Thai context.

The document examines a 2020 Swedish government inquiry into sewage sludge management, which weighed a complete ban on agricultural reuse against continued use under stricter quality requirements. While the inquiry focused on recovering phosphorus, the authors argue that this narrow focus ignores the significant potential for recovering nitrogen and potassium, which could reduce Sweden's dependence on imported fertilizers and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The brief highlights the role of the REVAQ certification programme in controlling contaminants and discusses alternatives such as incineration with ash-based phosphorus recovery and source-separation of blackwater and urine.

The 2020 Drawdown Report argues that the world can reach the Drawdown point by the mid-2040s if existing climate solutions are deployed with high ambition. The analysis categorizes 76 solutions into three primary areas: reducing emissions sources (electricity, food/agriculture, industry, transport, and buildings), strengthening natural carbon sinks (terrestrial, coastal, and oceanic), and improving society through health and education. The report emphasizes that these solutions are interconnected and that the net operational savings significantly outweigh the implementation costs, with estimated savings of 95.1–145.5 trillion USD against implementation costs of 22.5–28.4 trillion USD.

The report identifies 76 climate solutions categorized into reducing emission sources, reinforcing carbon sinks, and improving social equity. It argues that the world can reach the Drawdown point by the mid-2040s if existing solutions are scaled rapidly, noting that the net operational savings of these solutions outweigh implementation costs by four to five times. Key high-impact solutions include reducing food waste, improving health and education, and transitioning to renewable energy like wind and solar. The document emphasizes that these solutions are interconnected and require 'accelerators' such as policy changes and capital shifts to achieve the necessary scale and speed.