Bioenergy, the Bioeconomy and Climate Change USDA Research and Analysis to Ensure Sustainable Agriculture Markets

Transcription

1 Bioenergy, the Bioeconomy and Climate Change USDA Research and Analysis to Ensure Sustainable Agriculture Markets Global Bioeconomy Summit Berlin, Germany 19 April 2018 David M. Babson, Ph.D. Senior Advisor Renewable Energy, Natural Resources & Environment U.S. Department of Agriculture

2 USDA DOE Collaboration My dual role 80% 20% Senior Advisor to the Chief Scientist Renewable Energy, Natural Resources & Environment Technology Manager Bioenergy Technologies Office

3 Global Challenges The context for needing a sustainable bioeconomy and more broadly a renewable/circular new carbon economy

4 The amount of CO 2 in the atmosphere is increasing The Keeling Curve CO 2 from waste gas streams and the atmosphere is a cheap and abundant source of carbon.

5 And CO 2 really needs to not be increasing.

6 Climate change is not abstract to USDA

7 A growing population Global population to 9.7 billion by 2050

8 A larger more affluent population With increased population and affluence comes increased food demands

9 Keeping up with demand

10 Resource Limitation: land An estimated 10 9 ha of new land will be required to feed global population in 2050 This is an area 20% larger than Brazil An FAO outlook says that current cropland could be more than doubled by adding 1.6 billion hectares Consensus advises against substantial increases that could tax natural resources and harm ecosystems.

11 The New Carbon and Bio-based Economy Bioenergy & the Bioeconomy Sustainable supply chains, processes, and products

12 The Carbon Based Economy A carbon conscious economy is not a low-carbon economy as much as it will be a renewable carbon based economy.

13 The Carbon Based Economy A carbon based economy is an opportunity. Engineering systems to use renewable carbon consistently and efficiently can enable an economy that functions as a tool to manage carbon on an industrial scale.

14 The Bioeconomy Concept Revenue and economic growth Broad spectrum of new jobs Rural development Advanced technologies and manufacturing Reduced emissions and Environmental Sustainability Export potential of technology and products Positive societal changes Investments and new infrastructure

15 Why a Bioeconomy? The bioeconomy is a global industrial transition to sustainably utilizing renewable aquatic and terrestrial biomass resources in energy, intermediate, and final products for economic, environmental, social, and national security benefits. 1 billion tons of biomass could be sustainably produced in the United States.

16 US Biomass Research and Development Board Doing more and making more with less Engineering land saving, land sparing, and land sustaining strategies that profit from delivering valuable carbon management and ecosystem services

17 The Biomass Research & Development Board The Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000 established the Interagency Biomass R&D Board, the Technical Advisory Committee, and the Biomass R&D Initiative (BRDi). The BR&D Board facilitates coordination among federal government agencies that affect the research, development, and deployment of biofuels and bioproducts. Membership Senate-confirmed sub-cabinet officials from 8 executive branch agencies Co-chair Co-chair

18 Maintain Economic Prosperity with Renewable Carbon Greater yields and new sources of renewable carbon are needed to maintain a growing carbon-based economy.

19 Carbon Lifecycle in the Bioeconomy Carbon Energy Emissions Emissions Emissions Biomass Deconstruction, Conversion & Upgrading Energy & Resources Energy & Resources

20 Realizing Land Use Limits (Growing) demands on the land Land is a limiting factor in the biomass supply chain Carbon Energy Land

21 Doing more with less land We will need to do more with the same amount of space. To do this we need R&D to increase productivity without taxing natural resources

22 Doing more and making more with less Engineering land saving and land sparing strategies

23 Relevant trends in a warming world Clean power Carbon Emissions Amount Price Time Price Time Clean power

24 Traditional Biomass System Carbon Flow The 5 and 6 carbon sugar based bioeconomy Biomass Deconstruction, Conversion & Upgrading Terrestrial biomass accumulation results from the reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide through photosynthesis requiring fertile land.

25 Rewiring the Carbon Utilization Building a parallel single carbon platform bioeconomy Carbon Dioxide Reduction Reduced Intermediate Conversion &Upgrading Bypassing land use requirements by leveraging low-carbon power to directly reduce CO 2 into amenable intermediates for upgrading without photosynthesis.

26 Rewiring Carbon Utilization Limit land-use requirements Avoid inefficient photosynthesis Carbon Reduction & Upgrading Leverage carbon-free renewable power Directly synthesize more valuable intermediates and feedstocks

27 Vertical Agriculture & Engineered Ecosystems Vincent Callebaut Paris Smart City Plenty.ag

28 Doing more and making more with less Engineering land sustaining strategies that profit from delivering valuable carbon management and ecosystem services

29 Traditional Carbon Lifecycle for Biomass Carbon Energy Emissions Emissions Emissions Biomass Deconstruction, Conversion & Upgrading Energy & Resources Energy & Resources

30 Rewiring Carbon Conversion Carbon Energy Emissions Emissions Emissions Reduced Intermediate Conversion &Upgrading Energy & Resources Energy & Resources

31 BECCS Carbon Energy BECCS Emissions Emissions Reduced Intermediate Conversion &Upgrading Energy & Resources Energy & Resources BECCS = Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage

32 Agroecology, Landscape Design, and Precision Agriculture

33 Leveraging the bioeconomy to create significant carbon negative pathways Large-scale carbon management and storage: BECCS and buildings

34 Simple math of CO 2 mitigation goals All climate change mitigation scenerios rely on a technology that is somewhat untested: Bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration (BECCS)

35 Commitments have a large reliance on negative emissions Integrated Assessment Models for hitting the IPCC target call for an incredible increase in BECCS to reach global targets

36 Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage BECCS

37 Carbon Storage in Products and Buildings 3D Printed biomass Engineered wood to displace steel and concrete

38 Carbon Efficiency / Biomass Efficiency Carbon Efficiency Biomass Efficiency C Emissions C Feedstock C Biomass C Products / Biomass efficiency considers also inherent chemical and structural components of the biomass feedstock that confer an efficient utility for the feedstock. Carbon efficiency considers the carbon flux through the system. Need to connect what we can do technically with what we should do strategically to manage carbon

39 Research and Analysis for Carbon Negative Pathways Research & Development - Seeking expert input on technical investments needed for both large scale BECCS and engineered wood construction Analysis - Resource assessment - prime regions for purpose-grown biomass for BECCS and engineered wood buildings - Carbon and ecosystem service pricing/incentive scenarios - Quantifying tradeoffs between land use implications, carbon efficiency, and biomass efficiency (land use decision making)

40 Marketing the Bioeconomy and its Sustainability Quantifying and recognizing the appropriate environmental attributes of sustainable and biobased products

41 USDA Biopreferred Labeling Program Distinguising bio-based products from the rest

42 USDA Biopreferred Labeling Program But bio-based doesn t necessarily make things sustainable New Metrics PLATINUM Need to ensure renewable carbon based economy can grow and grow sustainably, without new regulatory structures such as an advanced manufacturing standard

43 Summary Our economy is not low-carbon and will not be low-carbon it will continue to be carbon-based Growing and expanding a carbon-based economy will require a robust bioeconomy to provide renewable sources of organic carbon for fiber, fuels, chemicals and materials without limiting needed food production The need and urgency to better manage and mitigate atmospheric carbon is substantial New technologies can enable a sustainable bioeconomy and more broadly a circular new/renewable carbon economy that functions to manage carbon and address a broad array of challenges simultaneously. US federal research agencies (USDA/DOE) are working together develop technologies and strategies that: Optimize land use requirements for carbon cycling Maximize biomass carbon conversion efficiency Increase biomass yield and utility sustainability Understand, adapt to and address climate change Grow a sustainable domestic bioeconomy Market sustainable bioproducts worldwide

44 USDA and DOE Planning and Expert Engagement Past DOE Event Upcoming USDA-DOE Events Innovations in Vertical Agriculture and Sustainable Urban Ecosystem Engineering, June 26-27, USDA, Washington, DC Third Annual DOE/USDA Joint Summit on Bioenergy and the Bioeconomy: Fostering Collaboration in Bioeconomy Research, July 17-18, Madison, WI Realizing the Circular Carbon Economy: Innovations in Energy and Agriculture, July 25-26, NREL, Golden, CO

45 Contact me David M. Babson, Ph.D. Senior Advisor Office of the Chief Scientist U.S. Department of Agriculture o