What is APBC? (From the APBC2020 website):
The Asia Pacific Biochar Conference (APBC) focuses on exploring research, development and novel applications in the fields of biochar. Biochar is a solid, carbon-rich material produced via the high-temperature, low-oxygen processing of wood scraps, manures, poultry litter, and other low-value biomass feedstocks. While closely related to charcoal and activated carbon, the term ‘biochar’ is reserved for material intentionally produced for use as a soil amendment in agriculture or for environmental remediation. It has demonstrated value for increasing soil carbon content; modulating soil hydraulic properties, pH, and cation exchange capacity; reducing nutrient losses through runoff and nitrous oxide emissions; and adsorbing a wide variety of environmental contaminants, etc. Biochar’s chemical and physical properties vary widely depending upon its source material and processing, thus there are large R&D efforts within academia and industry to engineer better-performing and more sustainable chars The aim of APBC is to bring together academia and industry to share knowledge and experiences, and to showcase innovations and achievements. It has been held since 2003 around Asia Pacific Regions. (please refer to the Previous Meetings).
APBC2020
The 5th Asia Pacific Biochar Conference (APBC2020) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on 22-25 October 2020 will focus on bridging scientific, industrial, practitioner, and policy gaps in biomass utilization for biochar and bioenergy production. The APBC conference series have promoted the sustainable production and use of biochar since 2009. The previous APBC conferences were successfully organized in Australia (2009), Japan (2011), Korea (2016), and China (2018).
In the past decade, biochar application has evolved from a potential tool for combatting climate change through soil carbon sequestration to a wide range of applications such as environmental remediation, soil productivity enhancement, new functional material development, etc. The APBC2020 conference will provide an excellent opportunity for participants to exchange information with fellow scientists, engineers, policy makers, and industrial personnel. The APBC2020 conference will draw concerted efforts to provide science-based underpinning for sustainable bio-products and bio-energy from local waste. For example, wood/yard waste in Hong Kong is of increasing concern under climate change and extreme weather events (e.g., Super-typhoon Mangkut that ravaged Hong Kong in September 2018). Hence, APBC2020 conference will draw attention to biochar and bioenergy science, technology, and sustainability issues at local-to-global scales.
Conference themes
The conference will be organized around subject areas of interest to industry, academic, agency/policy, NGO, and other audiences:
- Biochar Production & Commercial Applications
- Biochar Properties & Use in Environmental Remediation
- Soils, Agriculture & Agroforestry
- Feedstocks from Forests & Agriculture
- Sustainability & Techno-Economic Assessment
Researches and innovations are critical to satisfy these pressing needs. The APBC2020 conference will offer a timely opportunity to stimulate new research activities in technological and managerial advancement. Eminent academic researchers, industrial practitioners, green groups, and governmental departments from different sectors in the local and international context will gather to share scientific and technical inputs as well as political feedback through active discussion in Hong Kong.
It is our great pleasure to have the following Plenary Speakers (in alphabetical order) to share their visions with us.
- Prof. Tejraj Aminabhavi (Co-Editor, Chemical Engineering Journal)
- Prof. James Clark (Director, Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence)
- Ms. Deirdre Dunne (Executive Publisher, Elsevier)
- Prof. Jiri Klemes (Co-Editors-in-Chief, Journal of Cleaner Production)
- Prof. Ashok Pandey (Editor-in-Chief, Bioresource Technology)
- Prof. Roger Ruan (Chairman, International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering)
- Prof. Baoshan Xing (Associate Editor, Environmental Pollution)
For more information, please visit our webpage at http://www.apbc2020.com/. Call for Special Issues, plenary speakers, and other details will be announced soon. Please do not hesitate to contact us at apbc.2020@polyu.edu.hk if you have any queries.
We are looking forward to meeting you in Hong Kong next October!
Best Wishes,
Daniel C.W. Tsang
(Conference Chair, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)