Principles and methods of an accounting system based on societal metabolism
This report explores the epistemic and methodological foundations of the Integrated Bioeconomy Land Use Assessment (IBLUA) project, in which an innovative deliberation support system is developed toward more informed discussion over bioeconomy futures in the European Union (EU). In terms of the knowledge space it delivers, integral to the support system, the project employs a biophysical approach to scientific accounting, emphasising key insights from the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) framework, among other frameworks.
Current bioeconomy practices are broadly critiqued in the project for perpetuating unsustainable land and biomass use. This report highlights the need to imagine new pathways both within and beyond the window of political or social acceptability. Through engagement of an extended peer community, the project’s efforts evaluate sustainability through a mix of indicators, primarily descriptive- and performance-type indicators providing insight on system aspects of state, pressure and impact.
More broadly, the project situates within the paradigm of post-normal science, emphasising a high-quality process of decision-making suitable for situations of high uncertainty complicated by conflicting values and the need for urgent decisions. By integrating reflexive and interpretive methods, the project accommodates diverse stakeholder concerns and evaluates in a holistic manner the trade-offs and impacts of bioeconomy policies. It furthers applies social multi-criteria evaluation to assist involved actors in prioritising pathways that balance competing priorities and navigate complex interpersonal dynamics. A key technique bringing a number of these aspects together is the use of quantitative storytelling, which bridges qualitative narratives and quantitative modelling, enabling the exploration of futures in terms of their feasibility, viability and desirability while providing a robust foundation for advancing deliberative methodologies in sustainability policy.
RENNER Ansel;
GIUNTOLI Jacopo;
BARREDO Jose I.;
CEDDIA Michele;
GUIMARAES PEREIRA Ângela;
PARACCHINI Maria Luisa;
QUAGLIA Anna Paola;
TROMBETTI Marco;
VALLECILLO Sara;
VELASCO GOMEZ Marcela;
ZEPHAROVICH Elena;
MUBAREKA Sarah Betoul;
2025-04-16
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC136919
978-92-68-26712-7 (online),
1831-9424 (online),
EUR 40288,
OP KJ-01-25-226-EN-N (online),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC136919,
10.2760/2356728 (online),
