Industrial Symbiosis Track (ISDR Conference Hong Kong)- Abstract Submission deadline 31st March

Dear All

We have now received very good quality abstracts in good number and we are sure that the meeting at the ISDR conference in Hong Kong would be a great forum for an engaging discussion on the topic.

Due to huge interest, the online abstract submission system is kept open until March 31st 2010. So if anyone still wishes to submit an abstract, you could do so using the online system via http://papersubmission.hku.hk/sdconf10/ and by sending a copy of the abstract to me via a.agarwal@rgu.ac.uk

I very much look forward to meeting many of you in Hong Kong.

Kind regards

Abhi

New Article on Industrial Symbiosis

Dear All

I have recently got a paper on industrial symbiosis accepted in the Journal of Cleaner Production and this may be of interest. Authorship of the paper is Inês Costa, Guillaume Massard & Abhishek Agarwal. It is still not formated in the in-house style of the journal; however, it is available through the following link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2009.12.019

Also if you are planning to submit an abstract for the track 'Sustainable communities with - not despite - industry: industrial symbiosis & eco-industrial development / networking' at the International Sustainable Development Research Conference Hong Kong, 30 May – 1 June, 2010, please do so by 31st January 2010.

Please submit the abstract using the online system at http://www.kadinst.hku.hk/sdconf10/abstract_submission.html under the conference theme "Industrial symbiosis, eco-industrial parks and eco-industrial networking and regional sustainability"; and please email a copy of the abstract to Abhishek Agarwal via a.agarwal@rgu.ac.uk

Papers submitted in the track will be considered for publication in a special issue of a reputed sustainable development journal.

Further information available at http://www.abhibiz.co.uk/2009/12/iseidein-track-at-sustainable.html

Kind regards

Abhi
www.abhibiz.co.uk

IS/EID/EIN Track at the Sustainable Development Conference, Hong Kong 2010‏‏‏‏‏ - Update January 2010

The deadline for abstract submission for the track 'Sustainable communities with - not despite - industry: industrial symbiosis & eco-industrial development / networking' at the International Sustainable Development Research Conference Hong Kong, 30 May – 1 June, 2010 has been extended to 31st January 2010.

Please submit the abstract using the online system at http://www.kadinst.hku.hk/sdconf10/abstract_submission.html and please email a copy of the abstract to my email at a.agarwal@rgu.ac.uk

Papers submitted in the track will be considered for publication in a special issue of a reputed sustainable development journal.

Further information available at http://www.abhibiz.co.uk/2009/12/iseidein-track-at-sustainable.html

Kind regards

Abhi

Funding From The 2010 CIWM-Defra Programme of Support for Masters Theses

An Invitation To Submit Proposal For Funding From The 2010 CIWM-Defra Programme of Support for Masters Theses

This call for proposals relates to the 2010 CIWM-Defra programme of support for Masters Theses in areas related to Defra's Waste and Resources and Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Evidence Programmes. We would be grateful if you would circulate this email to all the relevant academics and departments within your university. Please go to the following document link for full details of how to apply. www.ciwm.co.uk/mediastore/FILES/18403.doc

Regards

Abhi

vacancies for Ph.D. students in industrial symbiosis

Dear All

Please see a message below from Leo Baas regarding positions for PHD students in industrial symbiosis at the Linköping University:

We have vacancies for Ph.D. students in industrial symbiosis and bio-fuels research fields starting in 2010. See the Linköping university website: www.liu.se/en/job

Also, the deadline for abstract submission for the track 'Sustainable communities with - not despite - industry: industrial symbiosis & eco-industrial development / networking' at the International Sustainable Development Research Conference Hong Kong, 30 May – 1 June, 2010 is 31st December 2009.

Please submit the abstract using the online system at http://www.kadinst.hku.hk/sdconf10/abstract_submission.html and email a copy of the abstract to my email at a.agarwal@rgu.ac.uk

Further information available at http://www.abhibiz.co.uk/2009/12/iseidein-track-at-sustainable.html

Kind regards

Abhi

IS/EID/EIN Track at the Sustainable Development Conference, Hong Kong 2010‏‏‏‏‏

Call for Papers: Industrial symbiosis, eco-industrial parks and eco-industrial networking and regional sustainability

The 16th Annual
International Sustainable Development Research Conference
Hong Kong, 30 May – 1 June, 2010
www.kadinst.hku.hk/sdconf10/indexin.html

“A New Agenda for Global Governance”

Track: Sustainable communities with - not despite - industry: industrial symbiosis & eco-industrial development / networking

Chaired by:
Abhishek Agarwal, Aberdeen Business School, The Robert Gordon University, UK: a.agarwal@rgu.ac.uk
Ms Tracy Casavant, President, Eco-Industrial Solutions, Canada: tracy@ecoindustrial.ca
Professor Yong Un Ban, Chungbuk National University, Korea: byubyu@cbu.ac.kr
Professor Geng Yong, Chair Professor on Circular Economy and Industrial Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China: gengyong@iae.ac.cn

Overview

The last two decades have seen an ever increasing interest in Industrial Symbiosis (IS) / Eco-industrial Development (EID) / Eco-industrial Networking (EIN) by policy makers, industry leaders and academics alike. This has led to the implementation of IS programmes and development of eco-industrial parks / networks in many countries.

In attempting to encourage the adoption of industrial ecology (IE) principles such planned initiatives by Government have been supported by the use of a range of ‘new’ environmental policy instruments, with many reported corporate and environmental success stories to date. In addition to government policy and programmes, multi-stakeholder efforts have played a key role in the development of IS/EID/EIN initiatives. This provides a rich area of research, especially in examining the performance of such policy instruments, cross-sectoral partnerships and governance around IS/EID/EIN initiatives, and associated corporate strategies and programmes utilised by the international business community in contributing to broader Sustainable Development aspirations.

This Track seeks to attract high quality papers which aim to be both critical and reflective of recent IS/EID/EIN projects and policy initiatives around the globe. This is important for those of us who are keen to see IE/IS as a meaningful concept in the pursuit of sustainability rather than merely a public relations exercise for Government, Facilitators and Corporate Actors. Both theoretical and empirical papers are welcome, either in full or developmental form, in the following areas:
• Government Policy and Programmes to promote IS/EID/EIN:
- The Performance of New Environmental Policy Instruments e.g. Regulation, Market-based Instruments, and Voluntary Codes of Conduct
- Government involvement in promoting IS/EID/EIN initiatives
- Government-supported education and outreach
- Development of Performance Evaluation Indicators for Eco-industrial Parks/Networks
• Regional multi-stakeholder efforts to promote industrial sustainability
- Cross-sectoral partnerships and governance for IS/EID/EIN
- Regional government and other stakeholders’ role in the development of IS/EID/EIN initiatives
- Role of facilitators in IS/EID/EIN initiatives and success of the facilitation process
- Planning and development of eco-industrial parks / networks; land use planning
- Transformation of existing industrial parks into eco-industrial parks
- Transferability of IS/EID/EIN successful practices from one context (place) to another
• Cases from industry sectors / corporate actors
- IS/EID/EIN success/failure (case studies)
- The impact of IS/EID/EIN initiatives on Corporate / Environmental Performance and regional sustainability
- Reducing ecological / carbon / water footprint using IS/EID/EIN
• Tools and Techniques of IE/IS e.g. internet based resource / by-products matching system
• Evaluation tools and techniques for IS/EID/EIN projects, including environmental impact assessment and life cycle assessment

When submitting your abstract, please categorise it as TRACK “Sustainable communities with - not despite - industry: industrial symbiosis & eco-industrial development / networking” or THEME "Industrial symbiosis, eco-industrial parks and eco-industrial networking and regional sustainability"

Detailed information and link about how to submit an abstract is available at:
http://www.kadinst.hku.hk/sdconf10/abstract_submission.html

In addition to submitting abstract online, please send a copy of abstract by email to a.agarwal@rgu.ac.uk

Deadline for submitting abstracts: January 31, 2010

For further information please contact:
Abhishek Agarwal, Email: a.agarwal@rgu.ac.uk

Publication

Papers (accommodating the discussion at the conference) will be considered for publication in a special issue of a reputed journal.

The 16th Annual International Sustainable Development Research Conference 2010 (30 May – 1 June 2010)

The 16th Annual International Sustainable Development Research Conference 2010 (30 May – 1 June 2010)

The Kadoorie Institute of the University of Hong Kong, in association with the International Sustainable Development Research Society, will be organizing this international conference between 30 May – 1 June, 2010 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong.

The theme of the conference is "A New Agenda for Global Governance". We are seeking offers of papers from researchers and practitioners in the fields of sustainable development, environmental policy and industrial ecology. We invite contributions relating to integrated policies, cross-sectoral governance and issues concerning climate change. Papers on the latest developments associated with sustainable development and the innovations and practical measures addressing global challenges are welcome. For details, please visit our conference website.

International Sustainable Development Conference 2010
http://www.hku.hk/sdconf10

Or you may download the conference pamphlet from
http://www.kadinst.hku.hk/sdconf10/PDF_file/Conference_Flyer.pdf

Deadline for abstract submissions: December 31, 2009

A training workshop for Ph.D. students has been arranged on the Saturday afternoon before the conference. Interested local and overseas students will have the opportunity to obtain experience from world famous scholars and experts. The workshop is tentatively named “The Survival Tips for a PhD Life” and will accommodate up to 30 local and overseas PhD student-participants for the conference.

For further enquiries, please contact:

Mr. Timothy Ho
The Kadoorie Institute
The University of Hong Kong
Email: sdconf10@hku.hk
Tel: (852) 22194764
Fax: (852) 28272521

Recently Published Articles

You may find some of the articles published recently in a special issue of the journal "Regional Studies" useful:

Editorial: Industrial Symbiosis - An Environmental Perspective on Regional Development pp. 1295-1298(4) Authors: Deutz, Pauline; Lyons, Donald

Industrial Symbiosis in Puerto Rico: Environmentally Related Agglomeration Economies pp. 1299-1312(14) Authors: Chertow, Marian; Ashton, Weslynne; Espinosa, Juan

Industrial Ecology and Regional Development: Eco-Industrial Development as Cluster Policy pp. 1313-1328(16) Authors: Deutz, Pauline; Gibbs, David

The Humanistic Side of Eco-Industrial Parks: Champions and the Role of Trust pp. 1329-1342(14) Authors: Hewes, Anne; Lyons, Donald

Regards

Abhi

6th Annual Warmnet Conference: Tackling Waste 2009

6th Annual Warmnet Conference: Tackling Waste 29th - 30th June 2009
University of Nottingham Jubilee Campus, Nottingham, UK

Sixth annual conference showcasing novel and innovative approaches to tackling waste.

Call For Papers

Postgraduate and new researchers are invited to submit a 200 word abstract on novel and innovative approaches to tackling waste, we particularly welcome submissions demonstrating a business focussed approach. Tackling Waste 2009 presents a unique opportunity for waste management researchers and businesses to showcase their research and achievements in innovative waste management

Submit abstracts to: tacklingwaste@northampton.ac.uk
Abstracts should be in MS Word format and 200 words maximum
Deadline for submission: 27th April 2009

Industrial Symbiosis Research Symposium 2009

Please find below information about the next industrial symbiosis research symposium:

Dear Colleagues:

The Sixth Annual Industrial Symbiosis Research Symposium “Contributing to CO2 Reduction and Sustainability” will be hosted by The Symbiosis Institute in Kalundborg, Denmark June 18-20th, 2009.

Under this title researchers from all over the world will discuss and exchange experiences on the contribution of industrial symbiosis to the reduction of greenhouse gases and other sustainability issues.

The Symposium will begin midday on 18 June and close at lunch on 20 June. The Symposium is organized in cooperation with Yale University's Center for Industrial Ecology and the International Society of Industrial Ecology - Section on IS/EIDC. The International Society for Industrial Ecology will hold its 2009 Conference "Transitions toward Sustainability" immediately following the Symposium from June 21-24 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Visit The Symbiosis Institute of Kalundborg’s website at http://www.symbiosis.dk/ and click on "upcoming events" at the top of the screen for more information on the Symposium and registration information. Deadline for registration is April 20, 2009. Registration fees are $75USD and local hotel discounts have been arranged for participants so that the price for per room is about $100 per night.

A detailed agenda is to follow. Please forward this mail to any colleagues who might be interested in this event as researchers in industrial symbiosis.

For more information on the ISIE Conference in Lisbon June 21-24, 2 009 please visit: http://www.isie2009.com

We look forward to seeing you in June,

The 2009 Organizing Committee

John Kryger, Chair and Director, Symbiosis Institute in Kalundborg

Marian Chertow, Yale University

Jørgen Christensen, JC Consult and Symbiosis Institute

Ray Côté, Dalhousie University, Symposium Chair 2007

Gabriel Grant, Yale University

Peter Lowitt, Devens Enterprise Commission, Symposium Chair 2008

Melanie Quigley, Yale University

Accessing / Posting info on the blog and podcast from Marian

Hello All

Please find below a direct link to the IS blog for accessing information / updates and /or if you wish to post any information.

http://www.abhibiz.co.uk/IS.html

You can also visit my personal website www.abhibiz.co.uk and access this and other blogs if of interest, from the menu.

In addition to that I am also upoloading a podcast by Marian Chertow from Yale about IE /IS. It covers an introduction of IE /IS and the origin of how this field has developed in last few decades and what it has to offer. It also covers details about the research that Marian is involved with. It is a useful resource for any of us and for anyone new to the field of industrial ecology.

Chertow.mp3

It has been confirmed that the above podcast has the most downloads in the Yale series.

You may find it interesting.

Best,

Abhi

www.abhibiz.co.uk

2009 and the UK-NISP

Hello Everyone

It is quite a while not to have posted any updates. I guess it is still not too late to wish you a productive 2009. I think all of us are looking forward to the ISIE and ISDR conferences in 2009. Unfortunately, they are very close to each other perhaps restricting some of us to attend both.

A good news is that we have few new members who have joined the blog recently making a total of 30 contributors. Your support is greatly appreciated. I would encourage you to write small entries and update about industrial symbiosis and waste / resource efficiency efforts in your respective areas and also to send details of any research projects you are involved with, papers recently published etc. to keep each other updated and perhaps to seek collaboration e.g. for conducting comparative studies.

Also it would be useful to send me any links that you think are relevant to this blog and/or any papers and / or reports on industrial symbiosis and I can upload these on the blog for easy access for all.

In the mean time I have a little update on NISP activities / strategies / scope below:


1. Intelligence Based Industrial Symbiosis

NISP is moving their focus from demand led approach to Intelligence Based Industrial Symbiosis. Regional Economic Development through the Intelligence Based Industrial Symbiosis (RED IBIS) is their next slogan. And this perhaps demonstrates the change in the NISP strategy that may be required for the continuation of funding in the UK and to introduce / market NISP services in other countries.

Peter Laybourn said:
“East Midlands Development Agency and Advantage West Midlands (in the UK) are among the first to recognise the potential of a RED IBIS type approach. The former has commissioned a study on resource mapping and the latter has commissioned market ‘intelligence' based IS for two industry sectors.

It is anticipated that if the UK adopts the full RED IBIS approach then countries that are already emulating NISP, such as China and Mexico, will follow suit based on the UK's learning experience.” Peter Laybourn*

2. Scope of NISP Activities

The UK National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) has been making significant efforts to transpose the UK IS model in other countries of the world. Some of the NISP initiatives that are taking place internationally are outlined by Peter Laybourn:

“Chicago is home to the US's first ‘UK style' IS programme, ‘Waste to Profit'. Run in conjunction with the City of Chicago, the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development (US BCSD) and the Chicago Manufacturing Center with support from NISP, it is now in its third year. The Chicago Waste to Profit Network aims to continue to grow and promote economic development for the whole State of Illinois.

The US BCSD is soon to meet the new President, Barack Obama, and present a proposal to establish and develop a national US IS scheme based on the UK model developed by NISP. If successful, this could catapult IS onto a widely visible world stage.

IS regional schemes have also been established in China, Mexico and Brazil. Lessons learned in the UK helped shape a ‘circular economy' initiative in the Yunnan Province of South West China.” Peter Laybourn**

3. NISP Synergy Workshop

I attended / assisted with ((actually hosted a table)) a NISP synergy workshop recently which was focused on identifying the “WANTS” and “HAVES” within the food and drinks sector. NISP being publicly funded, it was obviously a free event (with free lunch) for anyone to attend. It was attended by food sector professionals, environmental consultants, waste service providers (representatives of companies that provide services e.g. In-vessel composting, anaerobic digestion etc.). The approach used involved discussing and identifying the wants and haves of the companies and mixing and matching the use of by-products. Appears to be quite an effective approach overall and NISP claims to have identified 100 potential synergies. Now the question is how many of these go forward to fruition; and are we lacking in the cross-sectoral and thus innovation approach to IS as this approach just seems to link the waste producers to waste sorters? Am I understanding this right? Any views?

That’s all from me today. Hope you find this interesting to read. I look forward to any of your views on the above and any updates from your respective areas / countries.

Thank you for your support.

Best

Abhi

www.abhibiz.co.uk

References:

* Laybourn, Peter (2008) RED IBIS set to become second generation industrial symbiosis, Environmentalist, Issue No. 63 Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment

**Laybourn, Peter (2009) Industrial Symbiosis – coming to a country near you!, Environmentalist, Issue No. 71, Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment

Call for Papers: AISDRC 2009, Netherlands; Track: Industrial symbiosis, eco-industrial parks and eco-industrial networking and regional sustainability

15th Annual International Sustainable Development Research
Conference July 5-8, 2009, Utrecht, Netherlands

“Taking up the Global Challenge: Analysing the implementation of
innovations and governance for Sustainable Development”

CALL FOR PAPERS

Track nr 4C: Industrial symbiosis, eco-industrial parks and eco-industrial networking and regional sustainability

Pauline Deutz (University of Hull, UK: p.deutz@hull.ac.uk)
Donald Lyons (University of North Texas, USA: dlyons@unt.edu)
Sally Randles (University of Manchester, UK: sally.randles@manchester.ac.uk)
Abhishek Agarwal (Robert Gordon University, UK: a.agarwal@rgu.ac.uk)

Industrial Symbiosis draws its conceptual foundation from the ecological metaphor of biological symbiosis, where unrelated organisms can find mutual benefit through the exchange of by -products. That is, one organism’s waste can be another’s resource. Networks of companies engaging in industrial symbiosis can be distributed across a city or region or co -located in an eco-industrial park. Industrial symbiosis offers potential environmental and economic efficiencies that have attracted policy interest across the world, both as economic development and regional sustainability initiatives. Whilst de novo eco -industrial park policy initiatives world -wide have struggled to establish significant by-product exchange networks, self-organized kernels of local and regional networks have been far more successful, leading industrial symbiosis proponents to reflect on the relative merits of planned versus more self -organized approaches.

Given the potential for industrial symbiosis to contribute to regional sustainability, the difficulties in realising that potential are frustrating. The concept is in danger of being dismissed by policy makers and academics as an inspired but impractical, and being left to industry to exploit to the extent that it is economically viable. However, if our goal is regional sustainability, then industrial symbiosis in whatever form becomes a means to an end, not the goal in and of itself.

This session aims to critically appraise Industrial Symbiosis as a tool for regional sustainability and to position the concept within ongoing policy developments. For example, given that industrial symbiosis arose as a resource conservation practice, how does the concept relate to policy frameworks increasingly dominated by strategies to reduce carbon emissions. Furthermore, under what circumstances does Industrial Symbiosis have a role to play in regional sustainability, how can the most appropriate form for a given setting be determined, and how pro -active should the state be in promoting Industrial Symbiosis ?

Important questions for further research include:

 Given the potential public good from Industrial Symbiosis what should be the role of the state in its promotion? What form of policies would effectively engage business in Industrial Symbiosis practices, and how would they vary according to the context or particular places?

 Are the lessons from successful self -organized Industrial Symbiosis kernels transferable nationally and/or internationally?

 What is the role of the region in the development of Industrial Symbiosis?

 What are the implications of international commodity flows for regional sustainable development and regional Industrial Symbiosis networks?

 Should the scope of Industrial Symbiosis be broadened to incorporate post consumer and industrial waste?

 What would be the role for the existing materials recycling and recovery industries within an economy where by -product exchange were increasingly the norm?

 How can the energy cascade component of Industrial Symbiosis be promoted as part of broader policies aimed at carbon emissions reductions?

 Should Industrial Symbiosis focus more on energy cascade exchanges in light of the current attention to carbon emissions?

Please see the conference website for more information and details of how to submit an abstract.

Abstract deadline: 1st January, 2009

ETAP Newsletter

Dear friends, the latest issue of the ETAP Newsletter "Clean, Clever and Competitive" features a piece of our own Peter Laybourn on NISP.

You can download it here

Update on UK-NISP

Dear All

Just a quick update on NISP's achievements in the last 3 years. This also includes its present situation due to the funding cut however the news article displays great enthusiasm of NISP. In this news article NISP assures that a modest increase in funds could deliver in excess of 5% of the UK Government's commitment to the Kyoto Agreement by 2011. (What do you think?)

Between April 2005 and March 2008, NISP has:
• Diverted over 3.39 million tonnes of waste from landfill
• Reduced CO2 emissions by over 4.43 million tonnes
• Made over £89.2 million in cost savings for industry
• Generated £123.4 million in additional sales for industry
• Attracted over £110.0 million in private investment in reprocessing and recycling
• Avoided the use of 5.99 million tonnes of virgin materials
• Reduced the use of potable water by industry by over 9.22 million tonnes
• Eliminated 333,188 tonnes of hazardous waste
• Created and safeguarded 1870 others

NISP run by International Synergies Ltd of Birmingham - has had its Defra funding cut by about 40% for the next financial year. Due to this cut, a review of their operational structure is underway. This is perhaps resulting in a number of redundancies at NISP and their major sub-contractors. Some further details of this news are available in the article. . Budget cuts do not appear to be reflecting the past performance of NISP or any other BREW programmes. According to the government, strategic decisions have been made regarding allocation of funds and how they should be used to support businesses in the future. These cuts have appeared as a concern both to business and environment groups at a time when environmental agenda was gaining momentum among businesses in the UK. Business Groups claim that revenue collected from businesses through landfill tax should be returned to them through the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Programme, which has been the case in the past. Detailed news on the funding cuts is available on the greenbiz website. Regardless of the funding cuts, it is clear that government recognises NISP to be a great contributor to business resource efficiency and therefore continues to fund it.

On a brighter note, Peter Laybourn confirms that along with success in the UK in last 3 years, international work is being very successful. He comments "We have now launched in Mexico and China and we anticipate work will commence in Brazil later this year along with South Africa"

There may be several other changes that will take place in the strategy and operations of NISP but for now the programme appears to be successfully moving forward both nationally and internationally.

This is just a quick update about NISP. Please drop a note if you have any other updated information or insight. I and all others would look forward to any comments regarding this post and regarding NISP, funding cuts and the UK Government's strategy.

I will be back with other news and updates shortly. You can also look forward to an update on IS efforts in Portugal which will be posted shortly by a precious contributor on the blog. Please provide update on IS efforts in your country or any other IS projects that you have been involved with. This will ensure that we all are well informed of IS projects around the world; most information is available on this blog for anyone interested in IS; and most importantly we can keep in touch.

Regards

Abhi
http://www.abhibiz.co.uk