The Circular Bioeconomy – A Collaborative Path To Net Zero: Conference Explores Opportunities for Canada’s Industry and Communities

Canada’s longest-running and largest conference focused on the bioeconomy will be exploring the critical role that forests and bioproducts will play as Canada pursues its target to have net zero emissions by 2050. The Virtual Canadian Bioeconomy Conference and Exhibition will be presented next Tuesday and Wednesday. 

First held in 2004, in the forestry and bioeconomy centre of Prince George, British Columbia, the conference originally focused on the emerging wood pellet sector in central BC. Since then, it has expanded to cover the broader bioeconomy value chain, from the sustainability of forests through to the production of materials, energy, and chemicals that can reduce or even eliminate the use of fossil fuels.

“With public support and government commitments related to climate action, we’re seeing a very high level of interest in this year’s conference from communities, governments, and industry,” says Rob van Adrichem, Chair of the Board of Directors for the conference. “Getting to Net Zero is the challenge of this generation, and will require the sustainability of our forests, the know-how of people who live in forest-based communities, investments from industry, and policy direction from governments. Our conference is bringing all of them together for a timely conversation and information-sharing.”

Conference highlights:

  • Keynote presentations from the CEOs of the innovation branch of one of Finland’s largest forestry companies and one of Canada’s largest oil and gas companies.
  • Discussions with three provincial ministers and the Minister of Natural Resources Canada.
  • Policy, funding, and partnership programs to support the bioeconomy and decarbonization at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels.
  • Carbon and climate impacts in the working forest.
  • Community-level experiences with the bioeconomy in Thunder Bay, Kluskus (the Lhoosk’uz Dene Nation), and Joensuu, Finland.
  • Successes and challenges of scaling up and the need for cross-sectoral collaboration to advance low-carbon biofuels and other bioproducts. 

The full conference program is available on the conference website at www.bioeconomyconference.com.
In addition to being fully virtual, the 2021 conference is also the first to offer free registration, ensuring greater inclusivity for this important topic. Registration is available online via the conference homepage: www.bioeconomyconference.com. Delegates will be able to access all of the conference content and presentations on the digital platform for a full year.

“It’s only with the support of our sponsors that we are able to provide such a high-calibre program and conference experience at no cost to delegates,” says Sandy Ferguson, Chair of the Conference Program Committee. “I can’t thank our 25 sponsors enough, including our presenting sponsors Inland and Case Construction, our platform sponsor Northern Development Initiative Trust, registration sponsor Sinclar Group Forest Products, and the Government of Canada.”

Contact: Anne Turner, Event Manager

Canadian Bioeconomy Conference and Exhibition

E: info@bioeconomyconference.com