In a significant stride towards enhancing the circular economy, researchers have conducted an exhaustive review of environmental indicators used to assess industrial and urban symbiosis. The study, led by Benedikt Verkic from the Department of Anthropogenic Material Cycles at RWTH Aachen University in Germany, offers a comprehensive analysis of 3,349 indicators sourced from 457 scientific and gray literature documents. This work, published in *Cleaner Environmental Systems* (which translates to *Cleaner Environmental Systems*), provides a solid foundation for developing standardized assessment frameworks in the field.
Industrial symbiosis, a concept where industries exchange resources to reduce waste and environmental impacts, has gained traction as a key strategy for promoting a circular economy. Similarly, urban symbiosis focuses on creating synergies within cities to achieve the same goals. However, until now, a comprehensive overview of the environmental indicators used to measure these impacts has been lacking. Verkic’s research aims to fill this gap by identifying and clustering these indicators into 624 comprehensive categories.
The study reveals that the most commonly used indicators fall within the areas of material, waste, and water, followed by environment and emissions. This finding underscores the importance of these areas in assessing the environmental performance of industrial and urban symbiosis initiatives. Notably, the research also highlights a good coverage of high-circularity R-strategies, which refer to strategies that prioritize reducing, reusing, recycling, and recovering materials.
“Our results showed that most indicators are available in the area of material, waste, and water, followed by environment and emissions,” Verkic explained. “This indicates a strong focus on these areas in the current assessment frameworks.”
The implications of this research are far-reaching, particularly for the energy sector. As industries and urban areas strive to become more sustainable, the ability to accurately measure and assess their environmental impacts is crucial. The indicators identified in this study can serve as a basis for relevance when utilized by companies, industrial park operators, and urban administrations. This can help streamline the identification of appropriate indicators, accelerating the development of more effective and holistic assessment frameworks.
Moreover, the study’s findings can shape future developments in the field by promoting a more standardized approach to measuring environmental impacts. This can facilitate better comparison and benchmarking of different industrial and urban symbiosis initiatives, ultimately driving more informed decision-making and more effective strategies for promoting a circular economy.
As the world continues to grapple with the challenges of climate change and resource depletion, the need for innovative solutions that promote sustainability has never been greater. This research offers a valuable contribution to this effort, providing a solid basis for the development of more effective assessment frameworks that can help guide the transition towards a more circular and sustainable future.