Authors: David Wells Roland-Holst and David Zilberman
In all its habitats, from miles below sea level to the summits of mountain ranges, biomass is among the Earth’s most abundant resources. Since the origin of our species, biomass has offered humanity an ever-expanding array of services. Despite a long and beneficial relationship, however, we remain far from realizing the potential of biomass to contribute to human livelihoods and the habitats of all species. On the contrary, much of our biomass resource use continues to threaten the environment through combustion, overexploitation, and other damaging activities.
Regions around the world are facing expanding and converging challenges of climate change, with accelerating environmental degradation and escalating risk to life and livelihoods. California exemplifies these pressures, with intensified and expanding wildfire risk, biomass accumulation, air-quality degradation, and uneven regional development. Similar challenges are evident across the United States, Europe, China, Japan, and many developing countries. In this context, the circular bioeconomy offers a scalable and adaptable framework for transforming biological residues into energy, materials, and ecosystem services while supporting rural development and climate mitigation.
This chapter extends a California-focused analysis to a global perspective, highlighting how circular bioeconomy pathways—particularly the conversion of biomass residues into clean energy and carbon sequestration products—can address climate, environmental, and socio-economic challenges worldwide.
