Relying on the 17th International Conference on Waste Management and Technology, the "Zero-waste City" Construction Management and Practice Forum held online by Tsinghua University/Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific was successfully held on November 22, 2022. With the theme of "Sustainable municipal Solid Waste Management", the conference invited 9 representatives from international and domestic cities to exchange experiences online. A total of 22 delegates attended the conference, including Mr. Hosain Shahbaz, Iran Regional Centre for the Basel and Stockholm Conventions; Ms. Dana Lewis and Ms. Rachel Budoh, Caribbean Regional Centre for the Basel Convention; Mr. Dikind Harper and Mr. Ben Henderson, Strategy Manager for "Zero-waste City", Wellington City Council, New Zealand; Ms. Pajo Sood, Waste Solutions Director of the Auckland City Council, New Zealand; Ms. Marion Cordia, Planning Consultant from Waste Management Department of Environment Agency, Montreal, Canada; Mr. Katsuntaro, Director of Minamata Environmental Research Institute, Japan; Mr. Nong Sumnavut, Director of Environment Agency, Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Ms. Anarajo Soto, China Cooperation Department, Uruguay International Cooperation Agency, Office of the President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay; Ms. May Emilio Mingus, Director of Environment Department, Cerorago; Mr. Miguel Mestre, Director General of the International Cooperation Department of Ceroralgo, Uruguay; Ms. Ana Paula Alonso, Director General of the Environment Department of Rivera,Uruguay, Mr.Yan Cui, Director of the Solid Waste Department of the Ecological Environment Bureau of Suzhou City; Mr. Gaizhong Chen, Director of the Soil Department of the Ecological Environment Bureau of Sanya City, Hainan Province; Mr. Chang Liu, Deputy Chief Engineer of the Environmental Health Engineering Technology Research Center of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development; Ms.Xiao Liu, Project Manager/Associate Researcher at GIZ; Ms. Na Deng, Associate Professor at the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University; Mr.Jinhui Li, Executive Director of the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific/Professor at the School of Environment, Tsinghua University; Mr. Craig Bolikovac, Senior Advisor at the School of Environment, Tsinghua University/Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific; Mr. Bo Lv, Professor, and Ms. Guijuan Shan, Associate Research Fellow. The conference was chaired by Mr. Craig Bolikovac, Senior Advisor from the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific, attracting more than 200 participants online, including government officials, experts, scholars and business representatives.
Opening speech by Prof. Jinhui Li
Mr.Jinhui Li, Executive Director of the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific/Professor of the School of Environment, Tsinghua University, stated that the management of urban solid waste is closely related to human health and the environment, with various challenges faced by different countries. Currently, the Zero Waste International Cities Network initiated by the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific has received support from China's "11+5" pilot cities, as well as from Salto, Cerro Largo, and Rivera in Uruguay, Khovd, Orkhon, and Zavkhan in Mongolia, and the Basel Convention Regional Centre in Iran. He expressed hope that this forum would raise awareness among more cities about the necessity of building "Zero-waste City" and encourage collaboration to advance the process of international "Zero-waste city" initiatives.
The conference report session was divided into three parts, with each group consisting of three cities or regions, followed by discussions among experts on issues and experiences in urban solid waste management. First, Ms. Guijuan Shan, Deputy Director of the Environmental Technology Division at the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific, introduced the organizational progress of the Zero Waste International Cities Network. Subsequently, officials from the environmental management departments of various cities, including the Basel and Stockholm Convention Regional Centre in Iran, Wellington City in New Zealand, Minamata City in Japan, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Suzhou and Sanya in China, and Rivera, Cerro Largo, and Montreal in Canada, shared their local experiences in building "Zero-waste City."
During the closing session, Mr. Jinhui Li, Executive Director of the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific and Professor at School of Environment of Tsinghua University, expressed gratitude to the representatives from various cities and experts for attending the conference. With the support of China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific hosted this high-level forum on the management and practices of "Zero-waste City." He emphasized the need for international cities to strengthen cooperation in high-value utilization technologies, comprehensive management models, and business models for solid waste. Mr. Li encouraged more cities to join the "Zero Waste International Cities Network" and collaborate with relevant countries, regions, and international organizations to support innovative waste management initiatives that minimize the environmental impact of solid waste.
Ms. Guijuan Shan, Associate Research at the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific, gave a report entitled "Progress of the International Network of Zero-waste Cities Initiative"
Mr. Hossein Shahbaz, Adviser to the BCRC/SCRC-Iran, made a presentation entitled "Building a Zero-waste City: Practice on Kish Island, Iran"
Mr. Gaizhong Chen, Sanya Ecological Environment Bureau, delivered a report entitled "Practice of Zero-Waste City Development in Sanya"
Mr Dekind Harper, Wellington City Council, New Zealand, presented a report entitled "A Zero Waste future for Wellington"
Mr. Katsushintaro Koga, Director of the Minamata Institute of Environmental Research in Japan, gave a report entitled "Current situation of domestic and industrial waste treatments in Minamata, Japan toward sustainable circular society"
Mr. Nong Sumnavut, Director of Phnom Penh Environment Bureau, Cambodia, gave a presentation entitled "Current Status and Challenges for Municipal Solid Waste Segregation in Phnom Penh Capital City"
Mr. Yan Cui, Suzhou Bureau of Ecological Environment, gave a report entitled "Suzhou Zero-waste City construction practice and path exploration"
Ms. Ana Luuah, Rivera Environmental Bureau, Uruguay, presented a report entitled "Good Practices in the circular economy of Rivera"
Mr. May Emilio Mingus, Cerro Largo Environmental Bureau, Uruguay, made a presentation entitled "Ceroralgo's experience in municipal solid Waste Management"
Ms. Marion Cordia, Montreal Environmental Bureau, Canada, presented a presentation entitled "From Linear Solid Waste Management to a circular economy: Lessons from the City of Montreal"
Closing remarks by Prof. Jinhui Li, Executive Director of the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific
Contributor: Guijuan SHAN
