Why Are Bio-based Technologies so Crucial to Society?

This is an interview with NNFCC Chief Executive and founder Dr Jeremy Tomkinson, originally published on the website Climate Action, which was launched by the Sustainable Development International and the United Nations Environment Programme to assist businesses and governments reduce their carbon footprint.

NNFCC

As the founder of the NNFCC, could you let us know what was behind your inspiration to set-it up, and the background to your interest and passion within organic chemistry?
Every time we switch on a light bulb, drive a car or throw away a plastic bottle it hides the fact that in a fleeting moment we have lost something which has taken millions of years to make.
Our insatiable appetite for fossil fuels is clearly unsustainable and I have spent most of my professional career promoting renewable alternatives that not only benefit the environment but offer practical businesses solutions.
Dr Jeremy Tomkinson
This was an ambition shared by the UK Government when they asked me to set-up the National Non-Food Crops Centre in 2003 and is the reason behind our current success as a consultancy.
Broadly, what benefits can bio-based technologies provide business and government, both in terms of increased sustainability and the creation of bio-technology based industries, products and services?
Bio-based technologies – whether they are being used to make heat, power, fuel or chemicals – allow us to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. This will ultimately help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere and alleviate the pressure on businesses and families caused by the escalating costs of energy and materials.
The development of bio-based technologies has helped to create a hugely successful industry, supporting millions of jobs worldwide and driving investment not only in developed countries like the UK but across the developing world too. Projects in Africa and South East Asia are helping mitigate the damaging effects of climate change and improve quality of life by providing an alternative income to people like arable farmers, who are struggling to earn a living.
What is the current scale of the ‘bio-economy’ and outside of the UK, what level of awareness or understanding is there about the industry?
Biomass has been used for centuries to make heat and power. But new technologies are helping to unlock the potential of biomass in other markets.
In recent years we’ve seen the range of uses for biomass grow rapidly and there are now bio-based alternatives to almost all products made from fossil fuels, including jet fuel and even durable plastics.
Over the next decade the market is set to expand significantly and it has been estimated that the global bio-based economy could be worth US$295 billion by 2020 – making it one of the fastest growing industries in the world.
As both an advisor and delivery partner to the UK Government, could you describe how the NNFCC works with them and do you work with, or have plans to work with, other governments globally?
NNFCC was initially set up by the Government as a national centre to promote alternative markets for agricultural products; we’ve since grown to expand our work to include household and commercial waste, as well as wood and forest residues. We now work with a whole host of businesses around the world but we still maintain a strong relationship with the UK and EU Governments.
As a principal adviser to the UK Government on bioenergy and bio-based products, we provide evidence to support the development of Government policy. We are also involved in a number of projects around the globe and are currently working with the European Commission on the Bio-Base Europe and EnAlgae projects to look at the development of the bio-based economy in Europe. I am also the current President of the European Renewable Resources and Materials Association (ERRMA) which is a cross member state body comprised of the key agencies and institutes responsible for renewable resource development in Europe.
The NNFCC has established an impressive client roster including the likes of Rolls Royce, British Airways and BASF. Can you explain how you’ve helped, and are advising clients such as these?
Clients often come to us looking to understand the opportunities and assess the feasibility of entering the bio-based technology sector. We’ve worked with a range of clients from family run businesses looking to convert farmyard waste to biogas in an anaerobic digester, all the way up to multi-national corporations looking to pioneer the move towards more sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels.
We’re currently working with the likes of British Airways, INEOS, Royal Dahlman, Rolls Royce, BASF, Braskem, Azko Nobel to name a few. We are particularly excited to be working with British Airways who are developing the world’s first facility to convert waste biomass to jet fuel. NNFCC are advising British Airways on the sustainability implications of their venture and have provided technology support to ensure the project delivers value for money.
This article first appeared on the Climate Action website.

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