The 2024 Industrial Ecology Gordon Research Conference (GRC) was held in Switzerland from May 26 to 31. Nearly 200 scholars from around the world in the field of industrial ecology attended the biennial academic event. Professor Xu Ming, Associate Dean of the School of Environment, Tsinghua University, delivered the opening speech and chaired the conference.

The GRC is a series of international academic conferences that focus on fundamental science and emerging, cutting-edge academic fields. These conferences are characterized by their focus on specific topics and small scale, which encourages in-depth discussion. All attendees are either invited or must submit an application and receive approval from the conference chair. Due to its high quality and professionalism, GRC is held in high esteem within the scientific community. Industrial ecology became a GRC theme in 1998, and 13 conferences have been held since then. It has become one of the most prestigious academic conferences in the field of industrial ecology.

At the end of each GRC, attendees elect a scholar to serve as the vice-chair for the next conference, who will then become the chair of the subsequent conference. The chair is responsible for determining the theme of the conference, designing the agenda, inviting keynote speakers, and reviewing attendee applications. Xu Ming was elected in 2018 and served as the vice-chair for the 2022 conference. This year, he is serving as the chair of the 2024 conference, making him the first chair of the GRC on industrial ecology from China.

Xu Ming proposed the theme "Action-Oriented Industrial Ecology Science" at this year's conference, aiming to promote the communication and integration between the scientific and industrial communities, with a focus on the forefront of research. This conference organized nine sessions, including 24 keynote presentations and 145 poster displays. Xu Ming's group presented their approach, principles, and progress in developing the "TianGong Database" during a poster session. They engaged in deep academic discussions and collaborative exploration with research institutions like Leiden University, Cambridge University, and industrial participants such as Amazon. Topics included Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) databases, open-source LCA systems, applications of artificial intelligence, the EU's new battery regulation, etc.

Xu Ming delivers the opening speech and introduces the conference agenda during the opening ceremony

The GRC organizing committee expresses gratitude to Conference Chair Xu Ming