The Society

The International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE) promotes industrial ecology as a way to address sustainability challenges and achieve a circular economy. The ISIE facilitates communication among scientists, engineers, policymakers, managers, and advocates who are interested in better integrating environmental concerns with economic activities.

The mission of the ISIE is to promote the use of industrial ecology in research, education, policy, community development, and industrial practices. In order to accomplish this mission, the ISIE seeks to build a community of interest, support cumulative learning, produce high quality research, and promote social change.

The ISIE has a growing membership of over 900 members, spread over all continents. Within the ISIE, various Sections organise events and provide resources focused on key methods and approaches, including Socio-Economic Metabolism, Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment, Environmentally Extended Input Output, Industrial Symbiosis and Eco-industrial Development, Sustainable Urban Systems, Island Industrial Ecology, and Students. The Student Section supports students and early career researchers through scholarships and tailored events.

The ISIE holds various regular events, including its International Conference as well as numerous regional conferences. The members curate a Youtube channel, among other resources, such as a Github Repository for open source tools.

The idea to start the ISIE stems from January 2000, when a group of leading scholars with a shared interest in promoting industrial ecology gathered at the New York Academy of Sciences. The group decided the time had come to create an international society. They formed a steering committee and began planning the launch of a new society dedicated to supporting research, applications, and communication related to the rapidly growing field of industrial ecology.

In February 2001, the ISIE formally opened its doors to membership. This was an important step in the establishment of the field of industrial ecology. The ISIE was initially based at Yale University. After almost two decades of support from Yale University, the ISIE became an independent non-profit organization in 2018, legally registered in The Netherlands. The ISIE is governed by a set of By-laws and democratically elected leadership roles, including a Board and various Committees.

To support the society, we encourage you to consider donating to the ISIE.