Biotechnology for the Environment in the Future: Science, Technology and Policy”, OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers, No
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Please cite this paper as: OECD (2013-04-10), “Biotechnology for the Environment in the Future: Science, Technology and Policy”, OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers, No. 3, OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/5k4840hqhp7j-en OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers No. 3 Biotechnology for the Environment in the Future SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY OECD OECD SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRY (STI) POLICY PAPERS The OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry (www.oecd.org/sti) develops evidence-based policy advice on the contribution of science, technology and industry to well- being and economic growth. STI Policy Papers cover a broad range of topics, including industry and globalisation, innovation and entrepreneurship, scientific R&D and emerging technologies. These reports are officially declassified by an OECD Committee. Note to Delegations: This document is also available on OLIS under reference code: DSTI/STP/BIO(2011)11/FINAL © OECD/OCDE, 2013 Applications for permission to reproduce or translate all or part of this material should be made to: OECD Publications, 2 rue André-Pascal, 75775 Paris, Cedex 16, France; e-mail: [email protected] BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE FUTURE: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ................................................................................................................................................... 5 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 6 AN OVERVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL CLEAN-UP TECHNOLOGIES ............................................... 8 Industrial wastewater and toxicity biosensors ............................................................................................. 8 Legislation on the toxicity monitoring of wastewater ................................................................................. 8 Policy framework for contaminated land clean-up ...................................................................................... 9 Landfill tax as a driver for innovative environmental clean-up technologies ............................................ 12 Risk assessment and a landmark change in contaminated land policy ...................................................... 13 Bioavailability as a concept in contaminated land risk assessment ........................................................... 17 Other aspects of contaminated land remediation policy ............................................................................ 19 Bioremediation: an innovative, green technology for the clean-up of contaminated land and groundwater ........................................................................................................................................... 20 Phosphorus recycling: wastewater treatment meets resource conservation ............................................... 22 Main messages on environmental clean-up technologies .......................................................................... 23 THE NEW INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY: BIOFUELS, BIOBASED CHEMICALS AND BIOPLASTICS ...................................................................................................................................... 24 Environmental and industrial biotechnology overlaps ............................................................................... 24 The dawn of the biofuels era ...................................................................................................................... 24 Rationale for biofuels policy ...................................................................................................................... 25 Examples of policies related to biofuels .................................................................................................... 27 Critical messages for biofuels policy of the future .................................................................................... 31 Policy for biobased chemicals ................................................................................................................... 31 Policy for bioplastics.................................................................................................................................. 33 Comparative biobased chemicals and bioplastics policy: a common regime? .......................................... 36 ECOGENOMICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY .......................................................... 38 An overview of ecogenomics technologies ............................................................................................... 38 Ecogenomics: A potential regulatory tool in the bioremediation industry?............................................... 38 Drug discovery and the marine environment ............................................................................................. 42 Industrial biotechnology and ecogenomics ................................................................................................ 42 Policy issues: ecogenomics policy allied to synthetic biology?................................................................. 43 GENETIC MODIFICATION ISSUES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY ............................................................................................................................. 45 New agriculture .......................................................................................................................................... 46 New forestry .............................................................................................................................................. 46 GM related constraints ............................................................................................................................... 46 Developments relevant to GM technology ................................................................................................ 47 Main messages on GM issues in environmental and industrial biotechnology ......................................... 49 OECD SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRY POLICY PAPERS 3 BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE FUTURE: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY TOWARDS A NEW POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK – A FUTURE RIMINI AGENDA? ............................................................................................................................................. 51 A systemic challenge ................................................................................................................................. 51 What role might the OECD play in addressing the issues identified? ....................................................... 51 ANNEX 1 ...................................................................................................................................................... 52 APPENDIX 1: INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS OF CONTAMINATED LAND POLICY ......................... 55 APPENDIX 2. TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS FOR REMEDIAL TECHNOLOGIES IN COMPETITION WITH BIOREMEDIATION ................................................................................................................. 61 APPENDIX 3. INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS OF BIOFUELS POLICY .................................................. 63 APPENDIX 4: GENOMICS TECHNOLOGIES .......................................................................................... 66 Metagenomics ............................................................................................................................................ 66 Other –omics technologies relevant to Environmental Biotechnology ...................................................... 68 Proteomics ................................................................................................................................................. 68 Metabolomics ............................................................................................................................................. 68 Metatranscriptomics ................................................................................................................................... 68 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................................. 70 Figures Figure 1. Comparison of land cover data for 1990 and 2000 (% decrease in 10 years) ................................. 9 Figure 2. The number of contaminated sites in Europe, 2006, in thousands. ............................................... 10 Figure 3. Annual site remediation expenditures in selected European countries as EUR per capita, January 2007 ......................................................................................................................................... 11 Figure 4. The contaminated land management process ................................................................................ 14 Figure 5. Framework for environmental risk assessment (US EPA, 1998) .................................................. 16 Figure 6. Contribution of biofuels to global transport fuel demand (Mtoe) ................................................. 25 Figure 7. Different points in the biofuel supply chain to which subsidies can be applied ........................... 28 Figure 8. An overview of molecular and -omics technologies employed to survey intrinsic microbial communities underlying bioremediation