A Perspective on Bio-Inspired Approaches as Sustainable Proxy Towards an Accelerated Net Zero Emission Energy...

The global energy transition faces a chasm between current policy commitments (IEA's STEPS) and the deep, rapid transformation required to realize all national net zero pledges (IEA's APC). This perspective addresses the critical innovation and policy gap blocking the APC pathway, where many high-impact, clean technologies remain at low-to-medium Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs 3-6) and lack formal policy support. The insufficient nature of current climate policy nomenclature is highlighted, which often limits Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to incremental projects rather than driving systemic technological change (Bio-inspiration). Then, we propose that a deliberate shift from simple biomimetics (mimicking form) to biomimicry (emulating life cycle sustainability) is the essential proxy for acceleration. Biomimicry inherently targets the grand challenges of resilience, resource efficiency, and multi-functionality that carbon-centric metrics fail to capture. To institutionalize this change, we advocate for the mandatory integration of bio-inspired design into National Determined Contributions (NDCs) by reframing NbS as Nature-based Innovation (NbI) and introducing novel quantitative metrics. Finally, a three-step roadmap to guide this systemic shift is presented, from deployment of prototypes (2025-2028), to scaling evidence and standardization (2029-2035), to consolidation and regenerative integration (2036-2050). Formalizing these principles through policy will de-risk investment, mandate greater R&D rigor, and ensure that the next generation of energy infrastructure is not just carbon-neutral, but truly regenerative, aligning technology deployment with the necessary speed and depth of the APC scenario.