Room: King Willem Alexander
Date: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Time: 13:45 - 14:45 CEST
Session code AP.1
Realising sustainable value chain
From BioMates to ABATE: Advancing Public Perception and Social Acceptance for Socially Sustainable Bio-based Refinery Intermediates
Short Introductive summary
This paper examines how lessons from the Horizon 2020 BioMates project on social acceptance and public perception can inform the ongoing ABATE initiative, which develops advanced bio-based refinery intermediates. BioMates identified uneven awareness, differing sustainability priorities, and the importance of trust, transparency, and fairness in public support. Building on these findings, ABATE applies an integrated approach using stakeholder consultation and conjoint analysis to assess how social acceptance can be strengthened. The study demonstrates that linking social insights with technological development promotes socially sustainable innovation aligned with environmental goals and public expectations within the European bioeconomy.
Presenter
Yara EVANS
Imperial College London, Centre for Environmental Policy, UNITED KINGDOM
Presenter's biography
Dr Yara Evans is a Human Geographer at Imperial College London specialising in the social sustainability of the bioeconomy and energy transitions. She has worked on EU funded projects on stakeholder engagement, public perceptions and the societal impacts of low carbon innovation.
Biographies and Short introductive summaries are supplied directly by presenters and are published here unedited
Co-authors:
R. Diaz - Chavez, Imperial College London, UNITED KINGDOM
Session reference: AP.1.2