Dear members of the ISIE section for socio-economic metabolism (SEM),
We are reaching out to you to today with a call for applications to host the 2026 ISIE-SEM conference. We would like to announce the 2026 conference organisers and location during the closing ceremony of the Beijing conference in August.
By the way, it’s still possible to submit abstracts to the Beijing section meeting at the last minute (by June 20)! See https://isiesem2024.net/
The ISIE-SEM conference series is a well-established conference format in sustainability science. It brings together scholars and practitioners who work on material cycles and their wider links to environment and society. It dates back to the meeting series of the ConAccount network (Coordination of Regional and National Material Flow Accounting for Environmental Sustainability), which was established in Europe in 1996 and which held its first conference in 1998 Amsterdam, Netherlands. ConAccount expanded to a global scope during the years, and was incorporated as an ISIE section later. In 2012, the name section name was changed to socio-economic metabolism, and the ISIE-SEM conference is now the regular, biannual global scientific meeting point for our community.
Become part of the ISIE-SEM conference journey and apply for hosting the 2026 conference edition. The core duties of the host include:
- Development of the conference program, including parallel sessions, poster sessions, keynotes, and social events, among other activities.
- Typical logistics around the conference venue, amenities, communications before and during the conference.
- Formation and leadership of an international scientific committee.
- Setup and updates of the conference website and registration system.
- Handling of abstract submissions, including managing the review by the scientific committee.
- Management and support of the attendants, such as issuing visa application letters, where needed.
Our section currently has a bit more than 400 members, and recent previous SEM conferences have seen an attendance of 150-200 researchers and students. It is possible to host this meeting jointly with related conferences, e.g., on natural resource management or circular economy applications, and with other ISIE sections.
Your application/expression of interest should state some details (or at least some links):
- Envisioned conference chair(s), the host institution(s)
- Suggested venue/location (including a list of amenities, accessibility and lodging)
- Preferred date slots
- Proposed theme of the conference
- Environmental criteria/impacts
- Potential sponsorships
Please submit your application/expression of interest by email to the Section Board, by July 10th: metabolism@is4ie.org
We will then screen and discuss all incoming applications.
By sending your application/expression of interest, no formal commitment is entered.
Further information is available with the Section Board: Section: metabolism@is4ie.org
Best regards,
The ISIE-SEM Section Board
