This Communiqué is issued by the International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy (IACGB) on the occasion of the 3rd Global Bioeconomy Summit. We note that the transition to the bioeconomy is more critical than ever before. The urgency stems from the reality of global environmental threats, the opportunities brought by new sciences, and the consequences of the COVID-19. The bioeconomy has emerged as a globally impactful transformative force in industries and manufacturing on the supply side, and as a transformative force for consumption change and waste reduction on the demand side. In recent years the strong adaptive capacities of the bioeconomy to national and local circumstances have been demonstrated. While countries’ and territories’ bioeconomy opportunities differ, there are opportunities in all countries regardless of income levels, and natural resource endowments.

We note three overarching bioeconomy contributions to people and planet:

• Bioeconomy for health and wellbeing as a key element in building back better during and after COVID-19,
• Science and technology breakthroughs advancing the sustainable bioeconomy, and
• Climate action, ecosystems and biodiversity protection with and for sustainable bioeconomy.

This Communiqué by the IACGB is accompanied by a Bioeconomy Vision statement and a streamlined concept for the implementation of an institutional arrangement for international bioeconomy consultation and advisory functions.