The quantitative potential, effectiveness and impacts of negative emission technologies and practices (NETPs), particularly taking into account relevant disciplines such as sustainability, socio-political and socio-economic sciences, are not so well understood. Based on a multi-discipline approach, with world-leading experts that can show proven track records in technological, economic and socio-political disciplines, NEGEM will go beyond the perspectives of climate physics and climate economics currently providing the basis for climate scenario modelling. The novel approach of NEGEM is the focus on a real-world perspective, where the theoretical potential of NETPs will be filtered through a range of key performance indicators relevant to biogeochemical cycles, ecosystems and planetary boundaries, resource economies, societal dimensions, social acceptability, technological opportunities and constraints, multi-level governance, and the sustainability transition. Through this, NEGEM will address to what extent NETPs are required to achieve climate neutrality and how their associated technical, economic and socio-political impacts potentially limit their contribution. The result is a comprehensive analysis of the realistic, sustainably deployable potential of NETPs supporting EU’s endeavours to implement the Paris Agreement within the frames of relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals. The NEGEM analysis will feed into a comprehensive framework with guidance on how to create, select, analyse and disseminate pathways with NETPs. This framework will be used to identify a set of pathways to achieve climate neutrality, which helps lay the basis for the medium-to-long term vision needed to support EU’s endeavours to implement the PA within the context of relevant SDGs. NEGEM will dedicate specific efforts to reaching out to key stakeholders, in particular to policymakers at national and EU levels, but also to key international stakeholders, including developing countries.

Human pathogens can persist on textiles and high-traffic surfaces for hours, days or even longer when protected in biofilms, increasing risk of infection spreading. Conventional cleaning has no lasting effect as contamination can re-occur almost immediately. Available antimicrobial coatings are based mainly on the release of silver ions and other biocides that present risks for resistance development and environmental damage. Inorganic nanoparticles are also a concern for human health. Nanocellulose is a versatile nanomaterial obtained from wood pulp or biotechnological methods, which has excellent physical properties for coatings, enabling controllable and standardised application of antimicrobial functionalities. In Triple-A-COAT the 3 forms of nanocellulose will be augmented for antimicrobial/antiviral activity through grafting/adsorption of novel, resistance-proof compounds with excellent activities against bacteria, fungi and/or viruses, and nanopatterning to create bio-inspired antimicrobial surfaces. Spray coating and thin film applications will be developed, optimising adherence to plastic, metal, textiles and glass. The most effective coatings will be evaluated for antimicrobial/antiviral activity, durability and non-toxicity using ISO standard tests, and in a simulation of a bus environment over 6 months to reach TRL6. A life cycle assessment of the platform will also be completed. The project consortium involves companies, academic and SME partners with leading expertise in novel antimicrobial and antiviral technology, nanocellulose production and functionalisation, coatings development and characterisation, as well as a bus manufacturer and an external User Committee. Within 5-10 years after the end of the project, the results will be commercialized for impact in the transportation and healthcare sectors, contributing to the better control of infectious disease, and boosting the competitiveness and research leadership of EU industry including SMEs.

The main objective of the PROVIDES project is to develop a radically new, sustainable and techno-economically feasible pulping technology for wood and agro-based lignocellulose raw materials based on deep eutectic solvents (DES), a new class of natural solvents which have the unique ability to dissolve and thus mildly fractionate lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose at low temperature and atmospheric pressure for further processing into high added value materials and chemicals. The aim is to transfer recent scientific findings in novel lignin dissolving DES to process concept level that can be evaluated against current pulping processes. The technological breakthrough expected through the development of such new DES pulping technology could reduce process energy intensity by at least 40% and investment costs by 50% compared to traditional chemical pulping technology. In parallel, the development of efficient novel cellulose-dissolving DES and other DESs to process lignocellulose materials, starting with paper for recycling, is aimed at with focus on sustainability in selecting DES chemical components and technical and economic applicability of the solvent system. PROVIDES will create both fundamental and industry driven technological knowledge based on lab to bench/pilot scale experimentation, through: mapping and selection of most effective DES families; investigating processes and process technology options, including DES regeneration and recycling, in order to define full industrial processes that would isolate high quality cellulose/fibres, lignin and hemicelluloses; providing products for industrial evaluation; establishing technical data to evaluate industrial feasibility and integration; performing life-cycle oriented assessment of environmental and socio-economic performance; assessing impacts in terms of energy and cost reductions as well as new high added value applications PROVIDES could provide to the pulp and paper industry sector.

SmartLi aims at developing technologies for using technical lignins as raw materials for biomaterials and demonstrating their industrial feasibility. The technical lignins included in the study are kraft lignins, lignosulphonates and bleaching effluents, representing all types of abundant lignin sources. The raw materials are obtained from industrial partners. The technical lignins are not directly applicable for the production of biomaterials with acceptable product specifications. Therefore, pretreatments will be developed to reduce their sulphur content and odour and provide constant quality. Thermal pretreatments are also expected to improve the material properties of lignin to be used as reinforcing filler in composites, while fractionating pretreatments will provide streams that will be tested as plasticizers. Lignin is expected to add value to composites also by improving their flame retardancy. The development of composite applications is led by an industrial partner. Base catalysed degradation will be studied as means to yield reactive oligomeric lignin fractions for resin applications. The degradation will be followed by downstream processing and potentially by further chemical modification aiming at a polyol replacement in PU resins. Also PF type resins for gluing and laminate impregnation, and epoxy resins will be among the target products. Full LCA, including a dynamic process, will support the study. The outcome of the research will be communicated with stakeholders related to legislation and standardisation.