What the judges said: “Fantastic savings achieved, not just on carbon, and profits made.

And: “High level of innovation … now international in (eg) China and Brazil.

And: “It stands out from the other applicants.”

The National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) has been operating across the UK since 2005.
In that time NISP has reduced UK industry’s carbon dioxide emissions by 6,038,059 tonnes, which is externally verified, with a lifetime benefit of 30 million tonnes as synergies continue to accrue benefits year after year.
These carbon dioxide savings, often associated with embedded energy, have been achieved at a cost of just 65p per tonne, while lifetime savings are as low as 13 to 22p per tonne.
NISP uses the industrial symbiosis approach to stimulate cross industry synergies or partnerships that result in underused and/or undervalued resources being put to productive use.
This approach results in innovative sourcing of inputs streams for industry and adds value to non-product outputs such as waste or heat.
One of NISP’s case studies involving Thames Water and three other companies sees clay and spoil material from Victorian replacement works being recovered, reprocessed and reused to build the infrastructure at a deposition site.
This synergy has been active for three years and diverted over 230,000 tonnes of excavated material from landfill and cut CO2 emissions by a total of 27,190 tonnes to date, and is set to continue to reduce emissions further into the future.
The savings from this synergy have been achieved through a combination of input, transport and disposal savings.
In China, the Tianjin Economic-Technological Area (TEDA), the world’s largest industrial park, is embarking on a four year programme, assisted by International Synergies Limited (the company that devised and manages NISP), having identified the NISP approach as an effective means of addressing its low carbon ambitions. Incidentally, NISP is the only UK representative on TEDAÕs Low Carbon Economy International Co-operation Committee.

Shortlisted projects

CDP/AEA Report Raises the Bar for Government Suppliers

Metropolitan Police Service’s Carbon Reduction Programmes

May Gurney’s Carbon Reduction Programme

Anyvan.com’s delivery auction scheme

ADAS UK a carbon footprinting tool and carbon reduction plans for upland farm businesses

Action inspires action. Stay ahead of the curve with sustainability and energy newsletters from edie

Subscribe