Dr Shauhrat S. Chopra, Assistant Professor, was invited by the Hong Kong Institute of Engineers - Control, Automation & Instrumentation Division to be a speaker of webinar, namely “Data driven Waste Management and Resource Efficiency: Path to a Decarbonization and Circular Economy” on 28 April 2021.

The Hong Kong Government has set the target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The adoption of a circular economy over a traditional linear economy is one of the key routes to achieve a low carbon future that can mitigate Hong Kong’s waste management crisis as well. Despite the inherent benefits of the circular economy, its adoption is low due to the lack of data and tools for sustainable decision-making for resource efficiency and waste management.

Dr. Shauhrat Chopra highlighted the utility of tools such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for data-driven decision making. The talk also showcased the opportunity for the development of novel life cycle assessment models by leveraging the advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) tools. In particular, blockchain enabled data-driven tools may have the capability to improve trust and transparency in supply-chain networks, platforms for shared and performance economy, stakeholder participation, and governance and management of organizations. The talk emphasized the significance of data-driven tools and systems analytics to avoid unintended negative consequences of engineering decisions on the environment.