PEOPLE 2023

– Collaborative Solutions to Environmental Problems under Climate Change on August 7-11 in Montreal, Canada

This is also the 6th annual conference of the global Network on Persistent, Emerging and Organic Pollution in the Environment (PEOPLE Network), and co-hosted with Memorial University and the Concordia Institute of Water, Energy and Sustainable Systems of Concordia University, along with partners including the University of the Arctic, the International Water Association Young Water Professionals Canada (IWA-YWP Canada), and special issues from supporting Journals Environmental Systems Research (Springer Nature), Marine Pollution Bulletin (Elsevier), and Water (MDPI). The PEOPLE Network has more than 200 professional members, plus over 200 students, from over 30 institutions and 50 partners from private and public sectors and community groups in Canada and worldwide. It is the largest consortia of its kind dedicated to research, development and education on persistent, emerging and organic pollution by cross-nation, cross-institution, and cross-disciplinary approaches. It has been mainly funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

This event also welcomes scientists, regulators, practitioners, and community representatives who are interested in seeking and developing collaborative solutions to environmental programs from traditional to emerging ones worldwide under the changing climate. We are calling for collaborative efforts on research, development, education and engagement for improved knowledge and better solutions. “People create environmental problems, and our PEOPLE help find the solutions!”

Nowadays, the quality and sustainability of our environment have been increasingly compromised by traditional and emerging environmental issues associated with human activities. Climate change further complicates those issues and challenges us in finding better solutions. For example, a typical and continuing concern is the use and release of chemicals to the environment particularly including a group of persistent, emerging, and organic pollutants due to their toxic, carcinogenic, and/or bio-accumulative properties and the associated long-term ecological and health risks under a changing climate. There are pressing needs to gain better understanding of their sources, fate, transport, and effect, and have more prevention, control, and remediation methods to help the society achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

PEOPLE 2023 will continue to provide an international venue and bring together researchers and professionals from diverse sectors and disciplines in natural science and engineering, health, social science, and humanities, to present their achievements and innovations, spark ideas, share information, grow connections, and explore opportunities.