Koli Forum focuses on bioeconomy
21.09.2011
The growing importance of the bioeconomy, and Europe’s competitiveness in the light of global development were the focus of the 2nd Koli Forum, which took place from 14-16 September. The forum brought together top politicians, researchers, business leaders and decision-makers from Europe and beyond, to consider the sustainable and innovative use of natural resources.
A set of proposals for actions – two theses – were drawn up, which were presented at the World Resources Forum in Davos, Switzerland on 19 September. They will also be presented to the European Commission, the UN Climate Conference in South Africa 2011, and subsequently the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janiero in 2012.
The first thesis proposes that the bioeconomy should become a driver for European sustainable competitiveness. This could be achieved by promoting biomass-based new products and energy, creating global criteria for the sustainable bioeconomy sector, and ensuring that a minimum of 20% of public building and construction is wood-based. The second thesis emphasises education as a key measure for raising awareness of bioeconomy opportunities, and calls for a strengthening of the academic-industry partnership in research and education, and for the bioeconomy approach to be prioritised in the 2014 EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
Speakers at the Forum included Dr. Rajendra Kumari Pachauri, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), who also challenged participants to find new ways of measuring wellbeing, in addition to GDP. Mr Dacian Ciolos, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Eduardo Rojas-Briales, Forestry Director for FAO, and Professor Jørgen Bo Larsen, Chairman of the Board of EFI were also among the presenters.
More information: www.koliforum.fi
Photo by Koli Forum
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