Prof. Eric van Hullebusch

Université Paris Cité, France

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Biogrpahy: Prof. Eric D. van Hullebusch received his PhD (Aquatic Chemistry and Microbiology) from Université de Limoges (France) in 2002. From November 2002 until October 2004 he was a Marie Curie Postdoctoral fellow at Wageningen University & Research (the Netherlands) where his research focused on the optimization of anaerobic granular sludge reactors by studying the speciation, bioavailability and dosing strategies of trace metals. In 2005, he was appointed as associate professor in biogeochemistry of engineered ecosystems at Université Paris-Est (France). In 2012, Eric van Hullebusch obtained his Habilitation qualification in Environmental Sciences from Université Paris-Est (France). The title of his Habilitation thesis is “Biofilms in the environment: from anaerobic wastewater treatment to material bioweathering”. From September 2016 until August 2018, he worked at IHE Delft as chair professor in Environmental Science and Technology and head of the Pollution Prevention and Resource Recovery chair group. In September 2018, he joined Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (France) as full professor in Biogeochemistry of engineered ecosystems.

Speech title "Biometallurgy for Lithium ion batteries recyclingquot"

Abstract-With the growing demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and energy storage systems, concerns over the sustainability of critical raw materials and the environmental impact of battery disposal have intensified. Conventional recycling methods are often energy-intensive, chemically aggressive, and inefficient, particularly for low-grade LIB waste. This keynote presentation introduces an integrated biometallurgical approach as a sustainable alternative, combining microbial bioleaching with microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) for metal recovery. In the first phase, acidophilic microorganisms are used to efficiently extract lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese under controlled conditions. Process efficiency is influenced by key parameters such as pH, particle size, and iron ion concentration. The second phase involves applying Sporosarcina pasteurii to the bioleachate, enabling selective removal of cobalt, nickel, and manganese via biomineralization, while lithium remains in solution. Key findings, operational challenges—including metal toxicity and selectivity—and future directions for process optimization will be discussed. This presentation underscores the potential of integrated biological processes for environmentally friendly LIB recycling and the advancement of circular economy strategies for critical material recovery.

 

 

 

Prof. Roberto San Jose

Technical University of Madrid, Spain

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Biogrpahy: Prof. Roberto San Jose is a Professor of the Technical University of Madrid (UPM). He studied Physics in the University of Valladolid (Spain) and made the Ph. D. in 1983 on relation to Atmospheric Boundary Layer. He became associated professor in University of Valladolid in 1986. He was on leave in the Max-Planck Institute of Meteorology in Hamburg (Germany) in 1989-1990 and He was a guest senior scientist in the IBM-Bergen Environmental Sciences and Solutions Center in Bergen (Norway) in 1990-1992. In 1992 he moved to the Computer Science School of the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) in Madrid (Spain). In 2001 he became head professor of the UPM. In 1992 He started a laboratory in UPM called Environmental Software and Modelling Group. Up to now, Prof. San Jose has been principal investigator in more than 200 projects related with Air Quality and Climate issues. The projects were down with private and public companies and also with European Union. More than 20 EU projects on the environmental area and Information Technology have been carried out.

Speech title "Numerical modeling of CO2 flux responses to IPCC climate and socio-economic scenariosquot"

This study investigates the local impacts of climate and socioeconomic scenarios on biogenic and anthropogenic fluxes as well as on atmospheric CO₂ concentrations in different
European regions with different spatial scales from 2015 to 2050. High-resolution climate projections and land use data for the future have been modeled by applying two numerical
simulations: R1, based on current land use and emissions corresponding to 2018, and R2, which incorporates the annual evaolution in land use and projected emissions according to the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP). The simulations use the WRF/Chem-VPRM model for atmospheric chemistry and biogenic fluxes, the EMIMO (UPM) model for emissions, and the DEMETER model for gridded land use modeling. The results show that changes in land use significantly affect CO₂ fluxes, with local-scale variability highlighting the importance of high-resolution modeling. Under SSP1-2.6, biogenic fluxes improve and anthropogenic emissions decrease, while SSP5-8.5 reflects an increase in emissions despite uptake by vegetation. Most regions show net improvements in CO₂ fluxes, except for the Iberian Peninsula, where anthropogenic emissions exceed biogenic removals. The spatial heterogeneity of CO2 concentrations is mainly influenced by boundary conditions and atmospheric transport, except in specific cases such as Guimaraes (Portugal). These findings underscore the need for localized assessments to capture nuanced ecosystem responses and inform targeted mitigation strategies.

 

 

 

 

Prof. Eric J. Strauss

Michigan State University, USA

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Biogrpahy: Dr. Eric Strauss is Professor Emeritus of Urban and Regional Planning at Michigan State University. He received his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law and his PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to joining Michigan State, he taught at the University of Kansas where he was the Chair of the Graduate Program in Urban Planning and Indiana University. While at Michigan State University, he was a former director of the URP program. In the School of Planning, Design and Construction. He also was a Visiting Professor at universities in South Korea, Ireland, and Germany. He was a Fulbright Scholar to Panama and to Romania. He was named the “Outstanding Site Visitor” by the Planning Accreditation Board for 2022. He is the current President of the Advisory Academic Council on Signage Research and Education (AACSRE). Dr. Strauss had more than 40 years of experience in planning practice in both the public and private sector. He was a planner for federal and state governments, a city and county planning director, a city attorney, and a consultant to more than 50 organizations, both public and private, on a wide variety of planning related issues. Strauss prepared many comprehensive plans and land use regulations at all levels of detail for many communities. His current research interests include measuring the impact of climate action plans adopted by local governments and universities as well as policies for sustainability. He has published articles in the fields of renewable energy, climate change and climate refugees.

Speech title-An Analysis of Global Climate Changes Institutional Policy Framework in the Context of "Pro-poor Resilience"

This presentation analyzes the current global climate change institutional policy framework for the urban poor in the context of “climate resilience.” The material discusses the question: Where do informal settlements fall in the global climate change policy framework?
Simply preparing climate action plans and privatizing adaptation plans is not enough. Strategies such as early warning systems to cover slums and other vulnerabilities, social safety nets, transfer programs for emerging risks, and migration also need to be reorganized to support targeted populations in a timely manner.
Qualitative analysis analyzes the adaptive capacity, resilience quality, and level of progress of the global climate change policy framework in terms of institutional capacity:
·Scaling down vulnerability assessments and interventions to the city and neighborhood level
·incorporating local knowledge into climate change interventions
·strengthening education and training
·building capacity at the neighborhood level
The current climate change policy framework is discussed on two dimensions: (a) How resilient is built within the policy framework in terms of the urban poor, and (b) What is the level of resilience (the capacity to cope, respond and intervene) of the policy framework to climate change?