Policy Brief 2
Bio-Based Materials
The use of bio-based materials within the NEB is diverse in terms of intensity. Digitalisation facilitates the achievement of the Green Deal objectives. Stimulants for uptake of bio-based materials must also barriers, including cultural perceptions, lack of standards and lack of educational resources on the use of bio-based materials.
Key findings
Usage and perceptions of bio-based materials
Both actual usage and perceptions of bio-based materials are fragmented both across the NEB landscape.
Barriers for the uptake of bio-based materials
Barriers for the uptake of bio-based materials include higher costs, (perceived) lower durability, difficulty to ensure constructions in wood due to lack of standards, lack of accredited educational materials on the topic, and stereotypes regarding the use of these materials.
Perception of bio-based materials
Sustainability is perceived as influenced by cultural factors and initiatives for enabling it, such as the perception of bio-based materials are influenced by contextualised consumption, an example being that constructing in wood is associated with low income in some countries. Arguably this is associated also with levels of economic development, tradition of building and local and national history of the build environment.
Reticence form the client side
There is a reticence form the client side in accepting the use of bio-based materials (due to costs, durability reasons) if not supported by (at least) aesthetic arguments.
Digitalisation
Digitalisation facilitates decarbonisation, as well as carbon reporting targets.
Reducing or optimizing expenditures
Decarbonisation and sustainability objectives can be meet by reducing or optimizing expenditures
Material passports
Material passports need further attention.
Increase pollution and energy new technologies
While digitalisation is designed to facilitate reaching the objective of the Green Deal, new technology in itself increases pollution and energy consumption.
Short lived effects stimulation initiatives
Initiatives stimulating the green transition through projects have short lived effects and impact.
Recommendations
Go beyond the argument of sustainability
The argumentation used for stimulating the uptake of bio-based materials must go beyond the argument of sustainability and include soft elements such as aesthetics, contextualised consumption and cultural factors.
Proactively investigate resistance factors
Proactively investigating potential resistance factors must be included in initiatives promoting adoption of bio-based materials.
Simplify regulatory processes
Initiatives for encouraging use of bio-based materials should also include initiatives for simplifying regulatory processes.
Embed green transition in programs for economic growth
The green transition needs to be embedded in programs for economic growth in order to receive wide support.
Use EU collective weight and critical economic mass
Political changes at national level within the EU also have an impact on how the objectives of the Green Deal and sustainability targets are prioritized. The Green Deal is also influenced by changing political agendas or election results of states from outside the EU, whose influence is exercised globally across a multitude of fields, such as the US and China. In order to be able to counterbalance these pressures, participants consider that the European Union must stand out and use its collective weight and critical economic mass.