Action-Oriented Industrial Ecology Science

The Industrial Ecology GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes a diverse range of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.

Industrial ecology provides critical system-based concepts, methods, and tools to support the sustainability transition. For example, life cycle assessment measures system-wide sustainability impacts of products, technologies, and services to guide improvements without shifting environmental burdens; material flow analysis characterizes the dynamics of resource use by socio-economic systems across scales to help promote sustainable resource use; environmentally extended input-output analysis links consumption with distant economic activities and associated environmental impacts to assist in developing consumption-side measures for mitigation through supply chains; and so on. The development of these industrial ecology concepts, methods, and tools has always been motivated and guided by practical challenges on the ground. At the same time, industrial ecology research has also been widely applied in practice to make positive changes in the real world. Given the pressing challenges for the society to transform towards Net Zero, it is more important than ever to put science into action for real and quick changes. The 2024 Industrial Ecology GRC will bring scientists and practitioners together to bridge the gap between science and practice. Presentations will be invited to showcase how the science of industrial ecology is advanced by practical applications and how practices are guided by industrial ecology research. Discussions will be centered around how to develop the field of industrial ecology to be more policy- and practice-relevant.

A poster competition will be held for students and postdoctoral researchers and the winners will have the opportunity for short oral presentations at the conference. A Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) will be held prior to the conference featuring graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career practitioners.