Government vision on the Biobased economy for energy transition : 'closing the chain'

The biobased economy is one in which companies – both national and international – produce non-food applications from biobased raw materials, or biomass. These non-food applications may be transport fuels, chemicals, materials and energy (electricity and heat). This vision does not cover the food applications. However, this does not mean that there is no relationship between the food, feed and non-food chains. Chapter 5, Policy Agenda, discusses this further. The letter from the Minister of VROM describes government policy with respect to the sustainable production of biomass for energy purposes (2007-2011). This letter forms the framework for maintaining the sustainability criteria for producing biomass for energy purposes, within the current Cabinet’s vision. These criteria only concern the biomass flows covered in the aforementioned letter. The government’s vision of a biobased economy is part of a wider perspective, i.e. that of a total energy transition, and is thus not an objective in its own right. Six ‘Platforms’ are currently working towards an energy transition, and include representatives from industry, knowledge institutes and NGOs, all of which are working towards achieving a sustainable energy supply.