Integrated Terrestrial and Marine Decision Support Tool for the Assessment of Resource Use Trade-offs in Europe

Europe faces intensifying competition for land and sea resources, as rising demand for biomass collides with the need to safeguard biodiversity, ecosystems, and climate. Projections warn of a “sustainable biomass gap,” with demand exceeding supply by up to 70% by 2050. Current models provide only partial insights and lack transparent, participatory tools for decision-making. This project develops a novel assessment framework linking terrestrial and marine domains through a deliberation support tool. It enables policymakers to explore trade-offs and synergies between climate, biodiversity, and socio-economic goals, offering rapid, modular, and user-friendly assessments. Models act as data providers rather than a single ensemble, ensuring efficiency and flexibility. The framework combines biophysical supply and demand models, biodiversity assessments, socio-economic drivers, and climate impacts. Scenarios are co-designed with stakeholders, bridging qualitative visions with quantitative indicators. Results will clarify policy impacts on biomass use, advance understanding of trade-offs, and support integrated strategies under the European Green Deal. Ultimately, the project aims to equip European authorities with transparent, science-based tools to navigate competing land–sea demands, close the biomass gap, and foster a just, resilient bioeconomy within planetary boundaries.