Bioeconomy climate footprint and domestic bioeconomy greenhouse gas emissions

A. Relevance and sustainability context

A.1 Policy relevance

Environmental footprints help to uncover the impacts of German consumption that are “hidden” by global trade and the spatial distance to the point of production. They also allow comparisons between countries on a per capita basis. In this sense, specific footprints deliver information on the distribution of specific global environmental burden, in particular to provide quantitative indicators underpinning discussions of responsibility, overconsumption and fair shares. The driving question is: to what extent are global GHG emissions by biomass producing or converting sectors induced by domestic consumption (and exports) in Germany.

The GHG footprint quantifies how much GHG emissions occur by bioeconomy sectors worldwide to cover consumption (and exports) in Germany. Besides GHG emissions that are directly linked with bioeconomy production processes (including CH₄ emissions from enteric fermentation and rice cultivation as well as N₂O emissions from manure management) the bioeconomy GHG footprint should also cover an attribution of international LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use-Change, and Forestry) emissions to the initiators of the land use changes.   

The indicator is of interest to environmental and agricultural ministries at a federal level. It is a sustainability indicator for the bioeconomy and the green transition and is directly linked to SDG 13 (climate action) and SDG 12 (sustainable consumption and production).

A.2 Sustainability and / or comparative evaluation options

Different types of comparisons help put the scale of German footprints into perspective. That said, a target range for quantifying sustainable consumption levels requires society-wide discourse, prioritisation, accept­ance and decision making, in light of best available scientific evidence. Multiple types of comparisons can be made, including:

• Degree of self-sufficiency by comparing domestic German emissions and the footprint: If the footprint exceeds domestic emissions, consumers in Germany are responsible for more GHG emissions than covered by the domestic indicator.
• International comparison by comparing the German per capita footprint with the global average or footprints from other countries.

B. Data availability

B.1 Stage of development

The economy-wide GHG footprint is a semi-established indicator (https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/uba-co2-rechner-jetzt-auch-fuer-haushalte-einfach); the The bioeconomy GHG footprint still has a more experimental character, especially regarding the LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use-Change, and Forestry)-part of it.

B.2 Data sources

GLORIA v.60 (https://ielab.info/labs/ielab-gloria) for the MRIO (multi-regional input-output)-based assessment of GHG emission flows and the assessment of international bioeconomy shares.

OECD air emission accounts for evaluation and update of satellite data in the GLORIA database on GHG emissions.

B.3 Coverage over time and replicability

2000-2024, annual data. Replicability with GLORIA v.60 database plus some additional sources plus script from GWS. About every to every second year, the underlying GLORIA database is updated. Since the relations don't change significantly that quickly, an update every 2–4 years should be sufficient.

B.4 Coverage across scales and sectors; compatibility

Breakdown by countries/regions (origin of the roundwood), industries and greenhouse gases is possible.

C. Considerations for operationalization

C.1 Feasibility: Fit for monitoring

It is considered robust as assessment for the bioeconomy production related part of footprint has been included in different Bioeconomy Monitoring Reports (2024, 2021).

C.2 Institutions

GWS

C.3 Future prospects

GWS can update the indicator quite easily once the GLORIA database is updated.

C.4 Costs, considerations and reproducibility

Information avaiable per request.

C.5 Potential for automation

Semi-automation might be feasible, but considerable expert input will remain.

C.6 Presentation options and breakdown / sub-indicator needs

By countries/regions (location of the emissions), industries and greenhouse gases (CO₂, N₂O, CH4, SF₆).

C.7 Potential for scenario integration

It has already been included in scenarios for the Bioeconomy Monitoring Report (2024).

C.8 Interlinkages and alignment with other monitoring activities

Other indicators such as the agriculture biomass footprint, timber footprint and wild fish footprint are calculated with the same database.