Welcome to the bio-age: How the bioeconomy can reshape the climate and nature transition.

At the Accelerator, our core mission is to support the transition to a sustainable and just world. Doing so means embracing a transformation mindset – not only trying to manage risk within current paradigms, but thinking systematically about how we invest and redirect money and other resources in ways that make more sustainable societies possible. And if we’re thinking about ways to enrich both societies and our planet - we need to think about bioeconomies.

We define bioeconomies as systems where the resources, innovations and principles that underpin economic activity are fully or partly derived from biological systems, and are directed in ways that support the healthy development of the ecosystems on which they rely.

Over the past year we’ve embarked on a major interdisciplinary research programme into this topic, with a particular focus on the interplay between governments, business and international institutions. Here’s what we’ve learnt.

As the 21st century progresses, material demands of global society continue to rise, driven by growing and more wealthy populations around the world.

In attempting to meet these needs, current paradigms of production and consumption continue to place unsustainable stresses on the natural systems that our societies rely on.

Addressing this will necessitate a range of strategic decisions about how to both shape and meet these needs sustainably whilst actively regenerating natural systems. Whilst there is no silver bullet, the rapid evolution of bioeconomies remain a key pathway to help achieve this.

Across multiple geographies and sectors, recent years have seen a strong upswell in innovations that can support a future bioeconomy.

These innovations take a fascinating variety of forms, stretching across technical processes of production, processing and distribution, as well as the broader social and institutional arrangements that support them.

This proliferation of innovations has been accompanied by a growing sophistication in how we talk about the bioeconomy – with different countries adopting approaches that reflect different visions of how bioeconomies might evolve and contribute to their national interests. We’ve summarised this diversity via three visions that variously emphasise aspects of bioecology, biotechnology and bioresource.

Although momentum in this area continues to grow, we are still in the early stages of a transition to bio-based economies.

Pockets of both policy and technical innovation exist, but these localised developments are often isolated and unconnected from each other. This isolation hampers effective and sustainable growth of the bioeconomy, by failing to understand and capitalise on potential synergies across and between sectors.

Our report explores different opportunities for the kinds of synergies that are revealed when we examine bioeconomies through different lenses of landscapes, industry and the built environment. Each lens demonstrates how more holistic approaches to multiple sectors can help unlock better outcomes at national and international scales.

As they grow, bioeconomies will play an influential role in shaping broader dynamics of global power. A key factor will be the ways in which countries navigate the implications of their changing roles and opportunities in processes of international production, demand and policy leadership.

These evolving dynamics have the potential to generate new tensions within the geopolitical sphere, consolidating the strengths of some economies whilst weakening others, as explored in Chatham House’s recent land report.

At this crucial moment in the transition, forward-thinking and ambitious efforts are needed to progress forms of international governance and collaboration that can turn this diversity into a strength, co-ordinating national efforts to establish complementary and coordinated interplay that can catalyse the bioeconomy transition at scale.

Our research identifies three opportunities to accelerate the transition to a sustainable bioeconomy.

1. Club of countries

Connect countries with complementary roles to advance a sustainable bioeconomy.

In the fragmented geopolitical climate, fostering international collaboration through clubs of national action and multilateral forums or coalitions can drive sustainable bioeconomy transitions. By leveraging countries' distinct roles in production, processing, demand creation, and technology development, these initiatives can align resources, infrastructure, and policies to accelerate innovation and support global sustainability goals.

2. Peer-led initiatives

Build cross-sectoral networks for industry collaboration on sustainability.

Pre-competitive collaboration among industries, governments, and research institutions can accelerate innovation, align investments, and centre sustainable goals in new technologies and practices. Drawing lessons from more advanced sectors of the bioeconomy (like forestry) will be key – ensuring new initiatives are pragmatic and effective in the ways they foster shared learning, risk-sharing, and standardization while avoiding competitive disadvantages.

3. Policy and tech coherence

Combine sustainable innovation planning with social policy development.

Developing decision-making frameworks that integrate policy and technology evidence is crucial for managing the social and environmental impacts of bioeconomy advancements across borders. Collaborative platforms and robust analytical processes involving international stakeholders can enhance anticipatory policymaking, aligning technological progress with social and environmental goals while addressing trade-offs and uncertainties.

Amidst the complex and competing dynamics of the climate transition, the concepts and practice of bioeconomies offers compelling opportunities for shared prosperity and climate response. A just and sustainable future remains within reach, and well-governed, innovative bioeconomies offer a vital pathway to help us get there.

Want to learn more? Dig deeper into  our full report, or sign up to our  newsletter to keep up to date with all our work.