A network of good: Engaging in environmental sustainability worldwide

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

The International Network of Sustainable Nanotechnology (N4SNano) is a global force for industry, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations to champion nanotechnology solutions for sustainable futures, and Dr. Sushanta Mitra, a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering and the Executive Director of the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN), which also happens to be a founding partner of this network is also leading this initiative. Together, Mitra and the team at N2SNano are working together to bring the brightest minds in environmental preservation for a conference on sustainability that benefits communities all over the world.  

History of the Global Summit 

The Global Summit kicked off at Waterloo during the pandemic. Therefore, it focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG) #3: Good Health in August 2022. This summit was organized in a hybrid format with satellite events at the University of Sydney, Australia. In November 2023, the Global Summit took place at the University of Sydney, Australia, on Affordable and Clean Energy, focusing on UNSDG #7.  

The 2025 conference in focus 

The conference will focus on UN SDG Goal #11, which states that we need to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. This is an important target for a growing municipality like Waterloo Region. Some targets this goal focuses on are centred around getting there in 2030, but only if we all work together. Some of the targets include: 

  • Safe and affordable housing by 2030, and that each person has essential services 

  • Affordable and sustainable transport systems by 2030 that provide access to safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all—improving road safety and ensuring that transportation is accessible to persons with disabilities, children, and women 

  • Reduce the environmental impact of cities in 5 years that reduce adverse per capita impact on cities by ensuring that there is quality air and good infrastructure for municipal and other waste management 

But why Barcelona as the chosen city for this year's conference? Barcelona is one of the most sustainable cities in the world. It has a growing network of cycling lanes and has increased to keep its cyclists safe. Plus, Barcelona is also investing in public transportation and increasing public housing to ensure that the people that call Barcelona can get to where they need to be and ensure that their citizens have a roof over their heads. There are a lot of cities all over the world that could learn from Barcelona, and we look forward to seeing what attendees from the UW community learn and bringing it back to campus and Waterloo Region.  

Mitra and the organizing committee are excited to be putting on the conference, as this is a cross-collaborative effort that expands to many different areas in the world. He says, "As a founding partner of N4SNano, the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology is proud to lead at the intersection of technological and sustainable futures. The 2025 Global Summit in Barcelona exemplifies our commitment to asking not just 'what' technology can do but 'what for?' By bringing together experts from institutions all over the world, we're fostering innovations in nanotechnology that serve society while addressing global challenges. This aligns perfectly with Waterloo's Global Futures vision of shaping technology that is responsible, sustainable, and socially viable." 

Dr. Alejandro Gomez, one of the local organizers in Barcelona, shares his enthusiasm because of the sheer amount of teamwork it takes to put on a conference like this. "We are a multidisciplinary team united by a common goal to contribute to creating a greener and more sustainable world for future generations," Gomez explains.  

The scientific committee of the Summit comprises of world-renowned scientists belonging to global North and South regions, which include representation from the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology and Future Cities Institute at the University of Waterloo, University of California Los Angeles States, Nelson Mandela University in South Africa, University of Twente in the Netherlands, Bar-Ilan University in Israel, Technical University Liberec in Czech Republic, Monash University in Australia, Universidad de Vigo and CAECE University in Argentina. 

There are three types of impact that this conference has on communities worldwide: 

The societal impact: Aligns with the global sustainable goal for the well-being of people all over the world 

The economic impact: A more sustainable city opens opportunities to markets all over the world and the technology used to create more sustainable (and liveable cities) 

The environmental impact: The promotion of nanotechnology based on impact with technologies that help reduce carbon footprint. (i.e. EV batteries and with and transportation that has as minimal carbon footprint as possible)  

How does nanotechnology help build a sustainable future? 

Nanotechnology can offer breakthroughs and innovations that provide immediate answers and solutions to society's problems, such as the need for sustainable cities.  

  • Nanotechnology can make differences in energy, environmental protection, resource management, and healthcare through the development of smart materials and connected devices, which can, in turn, create better physical well-being, improve the mental health of the people it has, increase productivity 

  • Social justice and ensuring everyone, no matter who and where they come from, has the same opportunity to live life in an environment that allows them to flourish 

Gomez describes how nanotechnology can lead to a more environmentally friendly world, "A vast range of nanomaterials can be engineered by tailoring structural features such as size, shape, composition, crystallinity, and vacancies. These modifications allow nanomaterials to exhibit properties that are either equal to or exceed those of conventional materials, being key in the development of innovative solutions for health, energy, climate, and environmental challenges that will shape the future of society." 

The conference is open to students, staff, and faculty on campus with an interest in environmental sustainability and nanotech solutions and the conference can help them in their own research and interests. This conference will help attendees learn why sustainability matters when developing exponential technologies like nanotechnology, and there will be an opportunity to hear from world leaders, academics, and policy think tanks in nanotechnology and sustainability, who conduct research through a sustainable lens and help us shape the narrative for policy changes.  

The summit will be held at Barcelona's Science Museum from June 16 to 18, 2025. Abstracts must be submitted before January 31. The registration page provides more information about the important dates of this conference.  

PLUS, Waterloo's graduate students can also have a chance to win a trip to Barcelona to present their abstracts by entering the graduate student poster competition associated with this event.