Water, Climate Change, and Sustainability

Bio‐based systems that can sustain itself on energy supplied by renewable sources such as waste biomass from the process itself and other renewable sources of energy, such as wind and water, can play an important role in achieving the SDGs. Reasonable assessments of the water‐energy nexus in bio‐based systems are fundamental in understanding the effects of resource pressure, the interconnection of both resources, and the delicate balances required to develop sustainable bio‐based systems, and hence contribute to the SDGs. In addition, assessment of bio‐based systems in comparison to petroleum‐based systems is important to evaluate their environmental impacts and ensure the sustainability of the bio‐based systems. Water and energy intensity, efficiency and productivity are some of the indicators that can guide us towards more sustainable bio‐based technologies and help attain the SDGs 6, 7, 12, and 13.

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