Known as Chinese reed, Miscanthus grass is a hardy and undemanding plant. Once introduced to the field, it grows for decades - even on contaminated and abandoned soils. The plant also produces a great amount of biomass, which is suitable for the production of sustainable chemicals or building and insulation materials, as well as for energy use. Such use of miscanthus for bioenergy production was the focus of a project involving researchers from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Forschungszentrum Jülich and Hunan Agricultural University in China.

Large quantities of climate-damaging greenhouse gases are released in agriculture every year as a result of livestock farming and fertilization practices. Criticism focuses on the introduction of excessive nitrate levels into the soil through nitrogen fertilizers and the import of feedstuffs such as soy from abroad. According to the German Federal Environment Agency, agriculture was responsible for about 8% of greenhouse gas emissions in this country in 2021, according to initial estimates. The cultivation of industrial hemp could reduce this problem.

The German Founders' Award is one of the most prestigious business prizes in Germany. Since 1997, the trophy has been used to promote entrepreneurial achievements and business ideas that are particularly capable of meeting the challenges of the future and sustainably changing entire industries. Plastic waste is one of these global problems. With the development of a biomaterial from agricultural residues that is fully compostable and can replace conventional plastic, the Hamburg-based start-up Traceless Materials convinced the jury of the German Founders' Prize.

The disposal of solvents in the chemical industry is often problematic because many of the substances are harmful to the environment. Biobased solvents would be a good alternative, but only a small part of the 20 million tons produced annually can be called such. Researchers at the Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) have found a solvent in dimethylfuran (DMF) that they can produce biobased. In a new research project, it is now to be further developed for industrial use.

Wood as a building material has a significantly smaller ecological footprint than conventional materials and is therefore becoming increasingly important. Compared to houses made of steel and concrete, trees store CO₂ emissions. Particularly in view of a growing world population, wooden houses in cities could make an important contribution to climate protection, as a study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) shows.
 

Bio-based - but not quite. That is often the case for sustainable building materials such as biofiber composites. Although natural fibers with excellent ecological and technical properties exist, resin is ultimately needed to turn them into the desired material. Until now, petroleum-based resin often had to be used because suitable sustainable alternatives are limited. Soon, things could be different: In the OrangeOil research project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, researchers are developing a bio-based epoxy resin.

On land, agriculture urgently needs to become more sustainable for environmental and climate protection; in the water, many marine regions are considered overfished. But humanity's demand for food will continue to rise. One hitherto little-used source that can be both healthy and sustainable is algae, among which are marine grapes. Researchers at the University of Bremen and the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) have now discovered a way to significantly increase their nutritional value.