The transition of our current economic system towards a bioeconomy that is based on renewable materials and energy can be an important contribution but at the same time a threat to mitigate the challenges of the 21st century, such as global warming and resource depletion. To assess societal, economic, and environmental impacts associated with this transition, we propose an approach for a sustainability assessment as an integral part of a future bioeconomy monitoring concept. The assessment approach is based on material flow analyses of the bioeconomy and their core products. As a proof of applicability, the proposed assessment approach is exemplified for the material flow of softwood lumber and its core product ‘EPAL 1 pallet’. To simulate a frequent monitoring, material flow analysis and assessment of six sustainability effects are applied for the years 2010 and 2015. Since a frequent bioeconomy monitoring requires regularly updated and quality assured data, official statistics should be the major source of information. Whereas cutoff thresholds, nondisclosure of data, and high level of aggregation are major limitations of official production statistics and for material flow analysis, lack of information regarding environmental effects is the major limitation for material flow related sustainability assessment. We make suggestions on how to overcome these limitations and put our approach in to context with other ongoing monitoring activities.

中文翻译：

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监测生物经济的可持续性影响：以软木木材及其核心产品 Epal 1 Pallet 为例的基于物流的方法

我们当前的经济体系向基于可再生材料和能源的生物经济转型可能是一项重要贡献，但同时也是缓解 21 世纪挑战（例如全球变暖和资源枯竭）的威胁。为了评估与这种转变相关的社会、经济和环境影响，我们提出了一种可持续性评估方法，作为未来生物经济监测概念的一个组成部分。评估方法基于对生物经济及其核心产品的物质流分析。作为适用性的证明，建议的评估方法以针叶材及其核心产品“EPAL 1 托盘”的材料流为例。为了模拟频繁的监控，2010 年和 2015 年应用了物质流分析和六种可持续性影响评估。由于频繁的生物经济监测需要定期更新和质量有保证的数据，官方统计数据应该是主要的信息来源。虽然截止阈值、数据不公开和高度聚合是官方生产统计和物流分析的主要限制，但缺乏有关环境影响的信息是物流相关可持续性评估的主要限制。我们就如何克服这些限制提出建议，并将我们的方法与其他正在进行的监测活动结合起来。官方统计数据应该是主要的信息来源。虽然截止阈值、数据不公开和高度聚合是官方生产统计和物流分析的主要限制，但缺乏有关环境影响的信息是物流相关可持续性评估的主要限制。我们就如何克服这些限制提出建议，并将我们的方法与其他正在进行的监测活动结合起来。官方统计数据应该是主要的信息来源。虽然截止阈值、数据不公开和高度聚合是官方生产统计和物流分析的主要限制，但缺乏有关环境影响的信息是物流相关可持续性评估的主要限制。我们就如何克服这些限制提出建议，并将我们的方法与其他正在进行的监测活动结合起来。