BIOMES: Yuan Yao, Associate Professor of Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Systems, presents "Multi-Scale Life Cycle Systems Modeling for A Carbon-Negative Bioeconomy"

The bioeconomy aims to replace fossil-based, non-renewable products with those derived from biological resources and processes. Many bioeconomy pathways involve nature-based and engineered solutions for carbon dioxide removal, such as biochar and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. These pathways offer significant opportunities to mitigate climate change and address global resource challenges. Biomass-based systems depend on natural systems for biomass supply and industrial systems for biomass utilization. These systems differ by location, time, and technology. Understanding the environmental impacts of different biomass utilization pathways, and how technological, spatial, and temporal factors shape these impacts, is vital for developing a sustainable, carbon-negative bioeconomy. However, acquiring these insights is challenging due to limited knowledge of system-wide effects and the lack of robust assessment methodologies across spatial and temporal dimensions. This talk will present transdisciplinary, multi-scale systems modeling frameworks developed to address these knowledge and methodological gaps. These frameworks systematically integrate industrial ecology approaches, such as life cycle assessment and material flow analysis, with methods from other disciplines, including machine learning, engineering process modeling, techno-economic analysis, and ecosystem modeling. Through several case studies, the presentation will demonstrate how these integrated frameworks enhance our fundamental understanding of the interconnected biomass, particularly forest, and engineered systems across various scales. Furthermore, the talk will discuss policy implications and illustrate how these frameworks can inform system-level design for a resource-efficient, climate-beneficial bioeconomy that aligns with global sustainability goals.