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

许多加拿大的自然资源产业面临着持续经营能力的经济挑战。在农村经济中，一个大型工业雇主经常支撑着该地区的经济活力，这一点已经得到了敏锐的感受。这些产业的流失对第二和第三产业产生了连带影响，并可能干扰供应链的运作，导致基本设施的成本上升和碳足迹增加。工业布雷顿角就是这样一个地区，受到许多大型工业企业消亡的负面影响。由于食品和能源价格的飙升、熟练劳动力的减少以及对传统业务持续注资的政策重点，18.5%的失业率进一步加剧。这项研究的重点是Dalhousie和CBU工业研究部门Verschuren中心的研究人员与Port Hawkesbury Paper LP （PHP）和Potlotek First Nation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废水管理和降低温室气体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气候下的温室作业。本研究涉及两个NSERC的目标领域：环境和农业（主题3和4）；自然资源与能源（主题1）。更广泛的目标是开发/测试一个决策支持框架，以指导工业共生网络的系统设计，根据3个要素——减少温室气体排放、提高资源效率和增加经济产出——优化这种配置的全系统效用。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，通过与新的工业伙伴的新颖合作来重振传统的工业运营。

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.