From June 26 to 28, the 16th International Conference on Solid Waste Management and Technology (Also called as 2021 Global Waste Forum) was successfully held in Beijing both online and offline. The conference with the theme ““Zero Waste City construction continuous promotion”” was hosted by Tsinghua University, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Stockholm Convention Regional Centre for Capacity-building and the Transfer of Technology in Asia and the Pacific, and the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences (CSES), and organized by the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the Asia and Pacific Region, China (BCRC China), the CSES Solid Waste Branch, the Institute of Solid Waste Pollution Control Technology of Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES), the Solid Waste Treatment and Utilization Committee of China Association of Environmental Protection Industry (CAEPI), and the Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
The conference consisted of the plenary meeting, 3 parallel sessions and 19 online and offline subject forums, in which reports were made by 208 officials and experts from 9 UN and intergovernmental bodies, including the UNEP Representative Office in China, the UNEP Sustainable Transport Department, the UNEP International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC), the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP), the Basel Convention Regional Center (BCRC) in Iran, the BCRC for Training and Technology Transfer for the Arab countries, and the BCRC for Training and Technology Transfer for the Caribbean Region, as well as 34 countries and regions including Afghanistan, Egypt, Austria, Australia, Pakistan, north Korea, Denmark, Germany, the Philippines, Columbia, Guyana, the Netherlands, Canada, Cambodia, Malaysia, the United States, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Japan, Switzerland, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Singapore, New Zealand, Iran, Italy, India, Britain, and China. More than 800 experts attended the conference online or offline, and 2.424 million people from all walks of life watched the conference online.
On the morning of June 26, Li Jinhui, professor from School of Environment, Tsinghua University and Executive Director of the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific (BCRC China), presided over the opening ceremony of the conference. Zhou Zhiqiang, first-level inspector and Deputy Director of the Department of Solid Wastes and Chemicalst of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) (Hereafter “DSWC/MEE”); Hao Jiming, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and professor of the School of Environment, Tsinghua University; Liu Jianguo, academician of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) and distinguished professor of Michigan State University; Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Basel, Ruterdam and Stockholm Convention; Tu Ruihe, Representative of the UNEP Representative Office in China; and Peng Bin, Deputy Secretary-General of the CSES delivered the opening remarks.
The opening ceremony
The plenary session on June 26 was chaired by Zeng Xianlai, Co-chair of the conference, associate professor of School of Environment, Tsinghua University, and Deputy Director of Tsinghua University Think Tank Research Center (TTRC). Prof. Chen Xiaohong, academician of the CAE and President of Hunan University of Technology and Business, delivered an invited keynote speech online entitled "Modernization of Green and Smart City Governance in the Era of Digital Economy". Dr. Wen Xuefeng, Director of the Solids Division of DSWC/MEE, delivered an invited keynote report entitled "Achievements and Next Steps in the Pilot Project of Building Zero-Waste Cities". Prof. Seeram Ramakrishna, member of the UK Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE), the Academy of Engineering, Singapore (SAEng), the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE), Foreign Member of ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology (AAET), and professor of the National University of Singapore (NUS), delivered an invited keynote report on "Recycling Gaps in Solid Waste Management" online. Prof. Saleem H. Ali, the Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment at the University of Delaware, USA, delivered an invited keynote report entitled "Developing a Circular Economy of Mineral Waste" online.
After the invited keynote speeches, Liu Xiao, Project Director from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), introduced the GIZ China Integrated Waste Management of the National Appropriate Mitigation Actions (China IWM NAMA Project). Professor Edgar Hertwich, member of the UNEP International Resource Panel (IRP), and Dr. Anupam Khajuria from the UNCRD, delivered keynote speeches. Professor Geng Yong, Dean of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU); Professor Kazuyo Matsubae from Tohoku University, Japan; Gu Yifan, associate professor and Associate Dean of the Institute of Recycling Economy, Beijing University of Technology; Jocelyn Bleriot, Executive Director of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation; Stefan Rau, Urban Development Expert of Asian Development Bank (ADB); Chen Weiqiang, professor from the Institute of Urban Environment CAS; Yi Xiuling from the Division of Solid Waste and Chemicals, Ecology and Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality; and Chen Jiazhong, Section Chief of Soil and Rural Environment Management, Sanya Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment, delivered planery reports. Prof. Li Jia, Deputy Dean of the SJTU Sino British International Low Carbon Institute, presided over this session of circular economy.
On the afternoon of June 26, a parallel session was held on the themes of household garbage, hazardous waste, waste salt and e-waste. At the meeting, 13 experts delivered keynote speeches or plenary reports. Professor Liu Jianguo, Director of the Institute of Solid Waste Control and Recycling of School of Environment, Tsinghua University; Professor Lin Zhang from the School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University; and Professor Yue Dongbei, Deputy Dean of the School of Environment, Tsinghua University, delivered keynote speeches. Liu Jinghao, Secretary-General of the China Association of Urban Environmental Sanitation (CAUES); Professor Wang Qunhui from the School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing; Professor Tang Lin, Dean of the College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University; He Yi, Deputy Director of the Hazardous Waste Management Technology Department of the Solid Waste and Chemicals Management Technology Center, MEE; Chen Futai, Chairman of Go Higher Environment Co., Ltd.; Professor Xin Baoping from the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology; Ma Liyang, President of GreenNovo Environmental Technology Co., Ltd.; Hao Yaqiong, associate professor from the CRAES; Sun Zhi, professor from the Institute of Process Engineering, CAS; and Professor Yin Huayi from the School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, gave the reports. Tan Quanyin, assistant professor from the School of Environment, Tsinghua University, presided over the session of hazardous waste in the parallel session.
The parallel sessions
On June 27, a parallel session was held offline, focusing on key issues such as waste plastic treatment, plastic circular economy and marine microplastics. 14 experts delivered keynote speeches or plenary reports. At the same time, an online parallel session was held through ZOOM, with 10 experts giving keynote speeches or session reports on the themes such as circular economy, urban solid waste management, and agricultural waste. From June 27 to 28, revolving around such topics as the circular economy, domestic solid waste, bulk industrial solid waste, electronic waste, hazardous waste, waste plastics, 19 online/offline subject forums were held, including the International Partnership for Expanding Waste Management Services of Local Authorities—Thematic Conference on Partnerships to Achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals co-organized by the UNCRD and the BCRC China, and the second Zero-waste City High Level Forum organized by the BCRC China, and the Student Forum co-organized by the UNEP and the BCRC China.
The conference was supported by many enterprises and institutions, including the UNCRD, International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), GIZ, MDPI, Qingdao Hengli Environmental Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd., Xinhuanbao Recycle Resources Administration Co., Ltd., GreenNovo Environmental Technology Co., Ltd., Go Higher Environment Co., Ltd., BHS SonthofenGmbH (Germany), Anhui Kemi Machinery Technology Co., Ltd., and Shanghai Zhougu Electrical Technology Co.,Ltd., as well as journals such as Resources, Conservation & Recycling; Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering; Resources Policy; Resources, Environment and Sustainability. At the conference, Tsinghua University Press also launched a new English journal “Circular Economy”, and intended to appoint Professor Li Jinhui as as the editor-in-chief.
