Trade-Offs and Synergies of Key Biobased Value Chains and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This work identifies relevant sustainability targets from the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for main value chains of biobased products, categorized into four dimensions: environment, circularity, social, and economics. Of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 85 targets were identified as aligning with sustainability criteria for industrial biobased systems. Six sectors with biobased activity were analyzed, chemicals, construction, plastics, textiles, woodworking, and pulp and paper, each represented by 3–5 value chains. These value chains were chosen based on certification availability, production scale in Europe, economic importance, and potential to replace fossil-based products. In total, 25 value chains were assessed qualitatively for their positive, negative, or neutral impact on each selected SDG target, using public data like EU reports, life cycle analyses, and expert insights. The results showed that 43 SDG targets were directly applicable to the value chains, with higher synergies for those using waste as feedstock over primary resources like crops or virgin wood. Overall, advances in technology and holistic approaches are paving the way for biobased solutions to replace resource-intensive, petroleum-derived materials and chemicals. These alternatives offer additional advantages, such as enhanced recyclability, biodegradability, and reduced toxicity, making them promising candidates for sustainable development. This study underscores that technological progress and a comprehensive approach can further advance sustainable biobased solutions in industry and have a relevant positive impact on various SDGs.