Guiding sustainable bio-industrial synergies for optimal GHG mitigation and regional economic development

许多加拿大自然资源行业面临着持续经营能力的经济挑战。这些在农村经济体中感受强烈，一个大的工业雇主往往支撑着该地区的经济活力。这些产业的损失对第二和第三产业产生了遗留影响，并可能干扰正常运作的供应链，导致基本设施成本上升和碳足迹增加。工业化的布雷东角就是这样一个地区，受到许多大型工业企业倒闭的负面影响。18.5%的失业率因食品和能源价格的飙升、熟练劳动力的减少以及向传统业务注入现金的持续政策重点而加剧。这项研究的重点是来自达尔豪西和CBU的工业研究单位-Verschuren中心-的研究人员与霍克斯伯里港造纸LP（PHP）和Potlotek第一民族合作，寻求建立一个工业共生网络，以支持3个不同的区域利益：1）通过重新分配现有的废物资源，创造新的收入来源，提高PHP运营的经济可行性; 2）通过改善PHPs污水管理和降低GHG强度来解决环境问题; 3）支持与低碳、高效的食品、燃料和/或纤维生产相关的业务发展，重点是水产养殖和寒冷天气的温室操作。这项研究涉及两个NSERC的目标领域：环境和农业（主题3和4）;和自然资源和能源（主题1）。更广泛的目标是开发/测试决策支持框架，以指导工业共生网络的系统设计，根据3个要素优化此类配置的全系统效用-减少温室气体排放，提高资源效率和增加经济产出。最终目标是建立一个框架，可以严格评估现有工业共生网络的效率，并指导新的综合工业网络的发展，通过与新的工业合作伙伴的新型合作，重振传统工业运营。

Many Canadian natural-resource industries face economic challenges to their continued operational viability. These have been keenly felt in rural economies where one large industrial employer ofttimes underpins the economic vibrancy of the region. The loss of such industries has had a carry-over affect on secondary and tertiary industries and can interfer with functioning supply-chain resulting in higher costs for basic amenities and higher carbon footprints. Industrial Cape Breton is one such region negatively impacted by the demise of numerous large industrial operations. An unemployment rate of 18.5% is exacerbated by sky-rocking food and energy prices, diminishing pools of skilled labour and a continued policy focus of cash injection into traditional operations. The focus of this research is for researchers from Dalhousie and CBU's industrial research unit - the Verschuren Centre - to collaborate with Port Hawkesbury Paper LP (PHP) and Potlotek First Nation to pursue the creation of an industrial symbiosis network to support 3 distinct regional benefits: 1) improve the economic viability of PHP's operation by creating new sources of revenue through the re-allocation of existing waste resources; 2) address environmental concerns by improving PHPs effluent management and reducing GHG intensity; and 3) support business development linked to low-carbon, efficient production of food, fuel and/or fiber - focused on aquaculture and cold-weather greenhouse operations. This research addresses two NSERC's Target Areas: Environment and Agriculture (topics 3 & 4); and Natural Resource and Energy (topic 1). The broader objective is the development/testing of a decision support framework to guide system design of industrial symbiosis networks, optimizing the system-wide utility of such configurations according to 3 elements - reduced GHG emissions, improved resource efficiency, and increased economic output. The ultimate objective is to produce a framework that can rigorously evaluate the efficiency of existing industrial symbiotic networks, and guide the development of new integrated industrial networks to reinvigorate traditional industrial operations through novel collaborations with new industrial partners.