The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency states that increased use of sustainably produced biofuels will play a key role in Sweden's transition to net zero emissions. However, there are growing concerns that using biomass, particularly forest raw materials, as an energy source is affecting biodiversity.

"Biomass in the form of forest residues is an important raw material for renewable energy, particularly in the EU, where it accounts for a significant proportion of renewable energy usage. However, we need to find new, more efficient ways of utilising these residues,” says Karin Pettersson, an energy systems researcher at RISE who specialises in the role of biomass in the transition.

She continues:

"There are several ways to increase the use of bound carbon in biomass that would otherwise be emitted. One approach is to address point emissions and address them through bio-CCS, whereby carbon dioxide is captured and stored permanently to create negative emissions. Another option is to convert biomass or captured biogenic carbon dioxide, along with hydrogen gas, into products such as fuels or chemicals."

High demand in the aviation and maritime sectors

The EU's Green Deal initiative aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. In this plan, biomass is assigned several functions, ranging from ensuring energy security to limiting climate change. However, biomass is a limited resource. Using residual products more efficiently is one solution, as is prioritising the use of biomass where it will be most effective.

"It's all about identifying where there is a long-term need for green carbon atoms. This includes the aviation sector, among others. Looking at scenarios up to 2050, electrification will only be able to phase out a small proportion of aviation sector emissions,” explains Karin Pettersson.

Other sectors where biomass will be needed in the future include shipping and the chemical industry, where it serves as a sustainable source of carbon for new chemicals and materials. As mentioned above, there is also a need to store carbon in order to achieve net-zero emissions, since eliminating some emissions is difficult and expensive. In the long term, we will even need to achieve net-negative emissions if we are to limit global warming in accordance with the Paris Agreement.

"The question 'What should biomass be used for?' is ultimately a societal issue. However, research can provide analyses of conflicting goals and opportunity costs for different priorities," says Markus Millinger of RISE, who conducts research in energy systems analysis with a focus on energy system modelling.

In a research study published in the journal Nature Energy, Millinger found that, in the long term, the value of carbon atoms from biomass exceeds the value of the energy they contribute. The location of biomass within the energy system is not as important, provided the carbon atoms are utilised and can be reused.

“Is it possible to remove biomass from the energy system?”

'We will need green carbon atoms in the sectors we have mentioned, and we can say with some certainty that we will need to generate negative emissions," says Markus Millinger, continuing:

"The more sustainable biomass we agree to use, the easier the energy transition will be. However, the market alone will not be able to solve this; new regulations and policies will be required at both the national and European levels.”

"Responsibility to share insights"

At RISE, the issue of biomass's place in the future energy system is being approached from many angles. Researchers and experts are investigating the role of biomass in Sweden and Europe over time, developing cutting-edge technology and testing research results and innovations in demonstration and testing environments. RISE also supports companies in developing and scaling up technology for converting biomass and carbon dioxide into products such as chemicals, fuels and materials, which contribute to climate benefits, job creation and economic growth.

"Biomass is a multifaceted subject that often arouses strong feelings. As researchers, we must avoid that in order to describe the system objectively. We also have a responsibility to share our knowledge and insights with all decision-makers in the energy system and biomass sector,” says Markus Millinger.

Ever since the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997 and the world's nations agreed to reduce emissions by 5.2 percent, the climate issue has largely been about one thing: meeting targets by optimising existing systems. 

The issue was, and in many cases still is, reactive and blame-driven. Dennis Pamlin describes this as a static problem perspective.

– It assumes the world is the way it is. We have talked so much about the urgent that we forget that the world is changing very rapidly, he says, adding: 

– At the same time, climate leadership has become almost a matter of creative accounting. The sustainability world has created its compliance-driven ecosystem of offsetting and reporting. You want to be able to say you are doing a lot.

Mission Innovation to accelerate green innovation and development

During COP21, as part of the 2015 Paris Agreement, 20 of the world's leading economies launched Mission Innovation – an initiative to accelerate innovation and development in green energy and new technologies.

– That is when something exciting happened. We said we're going to let go of the old perspective, we're not going to look backwards, we're going to look at innovations that drive development forward, says Dennis Pamlin.

But changing the perspective has proven easier said than done. – A lot of people are a little shocked at first when you say we should not focus on reducing emissions. They think you're a climate denier or crazy, Dennis Pamlin says with a laugh. – Of course we need to continue to reduce emissions in many places. But what we are saying is that you should shift your focus to human needs. We cannot have companies and cities looking at climate as a liability issue, they should be looking at it as an innovation issue that drives their business.

A paradigm shift in sustainability

There is a paradigm shift in sustainability with the expanding innovation agenda at its centre.

– Instead of trying to create a less bad version of our current society, we want to push forward and make the world a better place. That's Mission Innovation, to try to think in new ways, to be passionate about how you can help create tomorrow instead of feeling guilty about the past, says Dennis Pamlin.

For example, instead of just electrifying the car fleet and continuing to build cities around cars, we should focus on smart urban planning that encourages cycling, walking and new solutions – Imagine a world where a drone delivers medicine directly to your home, instead of you being stuck in a queue to pick it up. These are the kinds of solutions that not only simplify people's lives but also reduce resource use, says Dennis Pamlin.

Tools measure positive effects of innovations

Within the framework of Mission Innovation, RISE has taken on a role as a leading international partner for climate innovations. RISE is leading the work on Net-Zero Compatible Innovations, with Dennis Pamlin as executive director. They have developed a tool that measures the positive effects of innovations – not just for specific businesses, but for humanity as a whole. 

– Sweden is often seen as a country of innovation, but what do we actually measure? The number of patents or educational programmes is not everything. Measuring how innovations improve society is harder than measuring marginal improvements on a car, but we need new indicators to see how we are making the world better. To succeed, we need to collaborate more and create structures that steer us in the right direction – even without perfect data, says Dennis Pamlin.

RISE plays a key role as a catalyst for climate innovation by combining technical expertise with national and international collaboration. Through partnerships with cities, startups and global networks, the institute also connects actors.

– We have developed tools to help actors identify their strengths and weaknesses, with a focus on linking human needs, solutions and export opportunities," says Dennis Pamlin.

Cities and companies can use the tool to analyse their needs and resources to create conditions for sustainable cooperation and long-term development. From mapping stakeholders and resources to identifying common goals and initiating collaborations that strengthen both local solutions and global opportunities, the tool makes it easier.

Creating collaborations for new types of solutions

For example, a city may identify a problem but lack insight into what solutions exist. At the same time, there may be start-ups in the same city that have developed relevant solutions but have not focused on those needs.

– By creating partnerships between these actors and also involving export actors, we can not only solve local problems, but also give startups the opportunity to spread their solutions internationally, says Dennis Pamlin.

Do you want to know how your company can work with others to create sustainable solutions to human needs? Contact innovationsagendan@ri.se or fill in the form below to book a workshop, consultancy or demonstration of the tool.