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Credentials

International Synergies has been instrumental in bringing Industrial Symbiosis into the mainstream policy and business arena:

  • Industrial Symbiosis highlighted as key policy tool and 'Innovative approach to achieving resource efficiency' in the European Commission’s ‘Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe’ (September 2011)
  • Industrial Symbiosis cited as ‘systemic innovation vital for future green growth’ by OECD (2011) 
  • Industrial symbiosis has been selected as one of seven ‘top priority areas’ by the European Resource Efficiency Platform (EREP), a high-level stakeholder group with a mandate to deliver concrete policy recommendations for implementation across Europe. (December 2012)
  • Hosted the inaugural International Working Conference on Applied Industrial Symbiosis (IWCAIS 2012) convening 100 leading representatives from global government, industry and academia. (June 2012)

International Synergies’ largest project to date is the UK’s NISP (National Industrial Symbiosis Programme) which has been operating since April 2005.  NISP remains the world’s only national industrial symbiosis initiative and is:

  • Accredited by the European Commission as an Exemplar of Eco-Innovation through its Environmental Technologies Action Plan (ETAP, 2007);
  • Cited as an example of 'Best Practice' in the European Union's Waste Framework Directive (2008) ;
  • Innovative network Exemplar Programme Case Study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2011);
  • Highlighted as 1 of 20 Worldwide Green Game Changing Innovations in a report commissioned by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF, 2010).
  • Winner in the Best Carbon Reduction Project category of the edie.net Awards for Environmental Excellence, 2010 (subsequently entered into European Business Awards for the Environment, 2012)
  • Winner of the British Expertise Award for Global Environmental Impact, 2009

International Synergies sits on the following Expert panels: 

  • DG Enterprise for Environmental Technologies and Services and Green Business Models (2010)
  • DG Enterprise for INNO GRIPS combating global warming and resource scarcity (2010)
  • UN Asia Pacific Low Carbon Road Map (2010)

The company is also a member of:

  • Tianjin Economic-Technology Development Area (TEDA) Low Carbon Economy International Cooperation Committee (2010)
  • European Climate Knowledge and Innovation Community (2011)   

Reports published that refer to International Synergies approach and projects:

  • CBI “Making ends meet” (Feb 2011): “The CBI supports the work of NISP which should be encouraged and further developed”
  • European Commission’s Cradle to Cradle Network Initiatives Guide (2011): NISP included to share and capitalise on regional best practice amongst European Member States
  • The European Commission Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry advocates industrial symbiosis as a recommended policy instrument for improving competitiveness and resource efficiency in Europe (Sustainable Industry: Going for Growth, DG Enterprise & Industry, 2011)
  • The European Commission’s “Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe” states: “A number of schemes show the benefits of increased information flows, and the payback from providing advice or bringing firms together in National Industrial Symbiosis Platforms: Based on the performance of the UK National Industrial Symbiosis Programme, improving the re-use of raw materials through greater 'industrial symbiosis' across the EU could save €1.4bn a year and generate €1.6bn in sales.” (Sept 2011)
  • DG Environment commissioned report: “Economic Analysis of Resource Efficiency Policies: The report considered 120 programmes across 23 countries.  Criteria for selection included “Expectation of large resource efficiency potential, coverage of key sectors, coverage of key resources (including water) and the economic structure of the country”.  Based on further screening the report selected nine cases for further analysis.  Of these nine, NISP scored top for cost effectiveness, impact and replication potential across Europe and was said to provide “the widest environmental and economic benefits” and “optimises the use of resources”.  Key factors identified as underpinning NISP’s success included “cross sectoral synergies between industries” and “backing of national funding”.  The report further suggests that an “EU–wide network has the potential to be even more successful than NISP in England” (October 2011). 

Keynote speeches

  • Green Week, Brussels (May 2010) 
  • Bangkok/China – MA to provide info (date)
  • International Conference on Industrial Park Administration and Management, Shanxi, China (Sept 2011)
  • Netherlands Process Technology Symposium, Arnhem, Netherlands (Oct 2011)
  • Resources That Don’t Cost the Earth – Encouraging European Solutions and Collaboration, Berlin (Dec 2011)

Publications

  • Industrial Symbiosis in Action (July 2007)
  • NISP – The Pathway to a Low Carbon, Sustainable Economy (October 2009)

Articles published

  • New Civil Engineer (April 2013)
  • The Environmentalist (November 2012)
  • Journal of Industrial Ecology ( Spring 2012)
  • The Environmentalist (bi-monthly between March 2006 & March 2010)
  • Chemical Engineer (Sept 2007 & Jan 2009)
  • CIWM Wastes Management (June 2007 & Dec 2008)
  • SDUK (May 2008)
  • Rail Technology Manager (Nov 2007)
  • IMC Journal (Aug 2007)
  • Sustain (April 2006)