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This year’s theme for World Environment Day is “Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration.” The theme is a call to revive and renew our natural world. It emphasizes the urgent need for innovative solutions to address environmental challenges and the restoration of ecosystems globally. A bioeconomy is one of the signifcant pathways to provide innovative biologically based solutions that hold the key to restoring ecosystems and building resilience to climatic changes.
What is bioeconomy?
Bioeconomy is the production, use, conservation and regeneration of biological resources to provide sustainable solutions (including information, products, processes and services) in and across all economic sectors.
By integrating ecological principles with economic practices, the bioeconomy reduces our reliance on fossil fuels while conserving biodiversity, improving soil health, and overall ecosystem resilience.
Why bioeconomy matters for ecosystem restoration
- Sustainable resource management: bioeconomy encourages the use of renewable resources, ensuring that natural resources are managed sustainably and avoid over-exploitation.
- Waste reduction: by converting agricultural, industrial, and municipal waste into valuable products like biofuels, bioplastics, and biofertilizers, the bioeconomy minimizes waste and reduces pollution, contributing to cleaner air, water, and soils.
- Climate change mitigation: Bioeconomy play a crucial role in capturing carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable biomass energy, carbon farming, and biochar application are practical solutions that restore and maintain healthy ecosystems.
- Innovative solutions: advances in biotechnology enable the development of eco-friendly products and processes, from biodegradable plastics to biobased chemicals, reducing our environmental footprint.
- Economic growth and job creation: bioeconomy is not just about environmental benefits; it also drives economic growth and job creation. By investing in biobased industries, sustainable jobs are created in rural and urban areas, fostering inclusive growth and resilience in local economies.
Pre-register for Global Bioeconomy Summit 2024
The International Advisory Council on the Global Bioeconomy (IACGB) is pleased to invite you to the Global Bioeconomy Summit (GBS2024) 2024. The Summit will take place on 23- 24 October 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya, under the theme ‘One Planet – Sustainable Bioeconomy Solutions for Global Challenges’.
For the first time, the GBS will be held in Africa, and brings together bioeconomy experts and high-ranking representatives from politics, science, civil society and the business sector from all hemispheres. GBS2024 will provide a platform to discuss global bioeconomy issues in an inclusive manner and it will profile, advance, and recognise the importance of bioeconomy for Africa and other regions in advancing sustainable development. Please, click here for an exclusive pre-registration.
We hope you will consider participating and join us at the Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.
For additional information, please contact us on email: gbs2024@icipe.org.
Co-Organisers: IACGB, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO) of the East African Community (EAC), and Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).
