Nearly 60 experts from the oil and gas industry, academia, government, and nongovernmental organizations gathered for a multisector symposium in February with the objectives of networking and sharing best practices. The symposium, Engineering Solutions for Sustainability: Materials and Resources, focused on the concept of a circular economy.
A circular economy is described as an alternative to a linear economy, in which goods and resources are disposed at the end of their useful life. In a circular economy, goods and resources are used for as long as possible to extract their maximum value before they are recovered. A circular economy requires
- Raw material and energy inputs
- Feasible engineering solutions
- Cross-sectoral flows and linkages
- Effective policy measures
- Education and research
This event was the third in a series on sustainability that started in 2009. The 2009 symposium was influential in the creation of SPE’s sustainability technical section.
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