Bioeconomy Conference 2021 Showcases Opportunities for Communities
Communities everywhere are exploring ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase job opportunities, and live in harmony with their neighbouring environment. Several communities are leading the way and will be profiled during the 2021 Canadian Bioeconomy Conference and Exhibition presented by Inland and CASE Construction.
The conference is one week away and will be presented 100% online. There is no fee to attend, eliminating any barriers to participation. Registration is still open: https://www.bioeconomyconference.com/
Delegates will hear about Bioeconomy success stories in BC, Ontario, and Finland – each from very different communities with different opportunities and objectives:
For the Lhoosk’uz Dene Nation [link to https://web.fpinnovations.ca/indigenous-forestry-program-focusing-on-collaboration-through-the-respect-of-culture/] in the area around Kluskus, a remote area in central BC that has relied on diesel and propane, a bioenergy system using forest resources to provide heat and power is allowing for a transition to green energy while reducing fire hazards around the community.
In Thunder Bay, Ontario, the Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy (CRIBE) [link to https://cribe.ca/], has been working to connect local manufacturing and forest management expertise to help identify new products.
Joensuu, Finland, [link to https://www.businessjoensuu.fi/en/operational-environment/spearheads-of-expertise/forest-bioeconomy/] is a European forest powerhouse boasting Finland’s tallest wood building, a bioenergy system providing heat and power to thousands of residents, the home base of Finland’s Natural Resources Institute, and more than 500 bioeconomy-related businesses.
“Even though communities don’t have jurisdiction over forests and forestry, these examples all show how decisions made locally can bring local benefits,” says UBC professor Dominik Roeser, who will moderate the Communities in the Bioeconomy panel sponsored by Clean Energy Consulting on day two of the conference. “Every community, regardless of its size, can learn something from these examples, and chart its own course in the Bioeconomy. That’s really the purpose of this session: to share information, including successes and failures, in order to inspire action among the hundreds of communities across Canada that have adjacent forests and a relationship with the forest industry.”
On day one of the conference, the largest municipal investment fund in Canada will also be profiled. Chris Boivin of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund will be part of a panel exploring how governments at all levels – including municipalities – are making investments to de-carbonize.
Established in 2004, the Canadian Bioeconomy Conference and Exhibition is the largest and longest-running event of its kind in Canada. Originally focused on bioenergy and the wood pellet sector in central BC, the conference now explores the full Bioeconomy value chain, from the sustainability of forests to the production of diverse materials, energy, and chemicals. The conference has been unique in bringing practical perspectives from industry, governments, and communities together, from around the world.
