PROJETS

The general aim of this project is to analyze the economic and environmental potential of the waste streams for a transition towards a circular economy model of materials’ management in the Brussels Capital Region (BCR). This means we will identify which combinations of 1) available waste streams, 2) current and future recycling and treatment technologies and 3) modes of entrepreneurship (public, public-private, private) are the most promising in terms of the transition towards a more circular economy model of materials management in the BCR. In this context the project will start from an overview of all waste streams in the BCR, not only in terms of the type of waste, but also of the origin of waste. A transversal theme of this project is the question whether a region wide waste management should combine domestic and industrial waste streams or not. Would the scale of the material flow through combining domestic and industrial waste give more degrees of freedom in the organization of collection, recycling and treatment or not? Would merging these streams render certain collection, recycling and treatment systems economically and ecologically viable in the region itself? Although this consideration will be transversal throughout the project, the project will narrow down the type of waste streams along the different work packages (WP). In the first three WPs (current state analysis, benchmarking and metabolic analysis) the general perspective will be used. However, from the forth WP onwards the project will select the most relevant (in terms of technical feasibility, desirability, and economic and environmental performance) flows for further in-depth analysis which will finally result in economically and environmentally optimized collection, recycling and treatment scenarios for BCR. Crucial in this analysis is the system wide approach in which material streams will be monitored as they pass through the city’s economy (urban metabolism). To attain the general aim of the project, the project sets the following specific objectives, which show the skeleton of the general project approach and which mirror the work package structure of the project. - Analyze current status (WP1) o Actor and stakeholder mapping o Mining and quality control of existing data and data collection methods on the BCR waste streams. - Benchmarking (WP2) o Compare the BCR waste and recycling data, waste data collection methods, waste collection methods and waste treatment methods with other cities/regions. o Benchmark the waste management performance of BCR with other cities/regions. - Analyze the waste material flow and metabolism of BCR in order to make prospective scenarios (e.g. future recyclable potential, stock-flow relations, …) (WP3) - Select the most interesting waste streams for valorization potential, based on established rules of thumbs and stakeholder consultation (WP4) - In depth economic and environmental life cycle analyses of different combinations of the selected waste streams considering (1) different combinations of waste sources (2) alternative colletion scenarios (3) alternative waste treatment technologies/ combined technology chains (WP5) - Scenario and optimization analyses to identify the most promising sustainable materials’ management options along the abovementioned factors (WP6) - Provide clear technical, economic and environmental policy recommendations which can support decision making in BCR regarding the transition towards a more circular economy model of materials’ management (WP6).

Créée le 7 mai 1998 par le Gouvernement wallon, la Conférence Permanente du Développement Territorial (CPDT, http://cpdt.wallonie.be/) est une plate-forme multidisciplinaire de recherches, de formation et d’échanges qui rassemble une quarantaine de chercheurs issus de trois Académies universitaires (ULB-IGEAT ; UCLouvain-CREAT ; ULiège-Lepur). Les missions de la CPDT sont : 1. de constituer, par des recherches à long ou moyen terme et par des expertises à court terme, un outil d'aide à la décision pour le Gouvernement ; 2. d'organiser une Chaire interuniversitaire annuelle du développement territorial ; 3. d'assurer la formation continuée et la certification de cette formation à destination des conseillers en aménagement du territoire et en urbanisme auprès des communes ; 4. de procéder à divers modes de transmission et de vulgarisation des recherches et des résultats de recherche dans le domaine de l'aménagement du territoire, de l'urbanisme et du développement territorial.

Le projet COSY-food se fixe deux objectifs pour répondre au constat précédent : Objectif n°1 : co-construire une vision fédératrice de l’alimentation durable à travers la co-production d’un outil d’évaluation multicritères des systèmes de production-distribution-consommation alimentaires Objectif n°2 : sur base de cette vison fédératrice et des résultats de l’évaluation, le projet vise à faire travailler ensemble les différents acteurs pour identifier les freins communs au développement du secteur tout en garantissant sa durabilité. Une innovation majeure sera produite, et son implication sur le système alimentaire durable (SAD) de la RBC discutée. Concrètement cela veut dire de co-créer un espace où les acteurs pourront travailler ensemble pour identifier les freins et leviers au développement de l’alimentation durable. L’outil d’évaluation permettra de mettre en évidence les forces et les faiblesses en termes de durabilité. Cet outil permettra aussi d’évaluer sur des critères objectifs si les nouvelles initiatives alimentaires qui se développent peuvent prétendre au label « alimentation durable ». Les espaces de co-création spécifiques serviront à adapter les grands types de système de distribution (du panier à la grande distribution) qu’ils représentent, ces deux innovations majeures.

The aim of this PhD is to contribute to S-LCA methodological developments with the support of a case study on products from alternative food networks (AFNs) . First, a state of the art of S-LCA studies has been conducted. From this state of the art, a number of conclusions on S-LCA practice and developments are drawn as well as methodological proposals. These methodological proposals argue for 1) the use of a participatory approach with the consultation of stakeholders of product chains to select assessment criteria and to identify impact pathways; 2) the use of a holistic approach in which also economic and governance aspects of product chains are taken into account to assess social and socioeconomic impacts, and in which links between stakeholders and impact categories are considered; and 3) the use of an approach that allows the explanation of company’s practices rather than their solely assessment, as mostly done in S-LCA currently.

Recherche qui vise à mieux connaître et appréhender les relations difficiles et complexes qui lient environnement et tourisme

In the framework of the FP7 project “Forest management strategies to enhance the mitigation potential of European forests” (FORMIT), the PhD study will mainly focus on the evaluation of the contribution of forest products to carbon storage and climate mitigation. A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment of the European forest sector will be performed to evaluate the environmental impact of mitigation scenarios for the sector. This will be done for different forest types, different European regions, different management scenarios and different product types including cascade use of wood, the account of temporary carbon storage, end use and final disposal of wood products.

KLIMOS aims at generating capacity to enable the necessary transition to a sustainable society. KLIMOS will contribute to this aim through a process of mutual learning with the Belgian Development Cooperation and its partners in the South. Research activities will focus on (1) management of natural resources for multiple ecosystem services, (2) development of sustainable energy systems and urban infrastructures, (3) innovations in governance and institutional reform, and (4) sustainability monitoring & evaluation. Research outcomes will feed into the KLIMOS Sustainability Toolkit for project design and evaluation, and will provide strategic policy support and tailor-made training and advice to the Belgian Development Cooperation.