Room: Poster Area
Date: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Time: 15:00 - 16:00 CEST
Session code 2AV.1
Sustainability assessments of biomass and bioenergy and social perspectives
Social Aspects of Electrifying The Production of Platform Chemicals from Biogenic Carbon
Short Introductive summary
To reach net zero climate and defossilisation targets, it is essential to electrify the production of platform chemicals and to use renewable carbon from biogenic or atmospheric sources. However, the social implications of the increased resource demand associated with such a transition are rarely discussed in the context of sustainability. The presented work is based on the Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) methodology and assesses the social risks in the supply chain of renewable methanol produced from biogenic and atmospheric carbon sources, as examined in EU-funded research and innovation projects. For this, innovative social risk models for renewable electricity and biogas have been developed. The results show that the social risks associated with renewable methanol production strongly depend on the social conditions in the countries where certain metals are sourced. These risks can therefore be managed through responsible sourcing at various levels, ranging from the plant operator to higher political levels. Thus, S-LCA is a valuable tool for identifying social risk hotspots associated with emerging technologies, supporting a just transition to sustainability.
Presenter
Heiko KELLER
IFEU - Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg, GERMANY
Presenter's biography
Dr Heiko Keller is Deputy Head of the Department of Biomass & Food at IFEU. With a background in biochemistry, his work since 2011 focuses on LCA and integrated sustainability assessment of bio-based value chains, highlighting prospective aspects and system integration during technology development.
Biographies and Short introductive summaries are supplied directly by presenters and are published here unedited
Co-authors:
S. Haertlé, ifeu, Heidelberg, GERMANY
H. Keller, ifeu, Heidelberg, GERMANY
N. Rettenmaier, ifeu, Heidelberg, GERMANY
Session reference: 2AV.1.13