Research approach
In a context of more intense and more frequent climate extremes, one of the key research challenges is to construct innovative methodological frameworks that are capable to capture the impacts and complex feedback loops among social and ecological systems. In taking up this challenge, BIOCLIMAPATHS made an important step forward towards comprehensive analyses of climate extreme impacts on the food industry, renewable energy and the household level in society. Building on the BIOCLIMAPATHS results, new research avenues can be developed together with EU bioeconomy stakeholders.
Cross-sectoral modeling framework
BIOCLIMAPATHS (BCP) developed a new methodological framework for comprehensive knowledge production on bioeconomy transition paths from a coupled social-ecological systems (SES) perspective. A social-ecological systems perspective embeds the inherent dependency of humans, and their societies, on functioning ecosystems.
For the BCP research team, in order to assess risks and vulnerabilities in a context of climate extremes, the SES research perspective implied the development of a cross-sectoral modeling framework that connects climate extremes, primary production and economic systems from a human agency perspective.
Work packages
The development of the cross-sectoral modeling framework was the overarching research challenge that connected the five work packages:
