We are delighted to announce that PEOPLE 2023 is calling for abstracts and proposals. We welcome you and your colleagues to join our PEOPLE 2023 International Conference – 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; www.People-Network.ca), 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), the Journal of Environmental Systems Research (Springer Nature), and the Journal of 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 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. This year, our keywords are: # Climate Change # Emerging Contaminants # Oil & HNS # Community # Arctic & Cold Regions # Urban & Rural Environments # Ocean & Coast # Soil & Sediment # UN SDG # Emission Reduction # New Fuels # Policy & Management # Education & Training.

Call for abstracts: We invite you to submit an abstract related to the above topics and beyond. Please use the Abstract Template for submission. The deadline for abstract submission is February 28, 2023.

Call for proposals: We invite you to propose and organize workshops on Day 1 or technical/special sessions during the conference (Days 2-4). The objective is to support professionals (especially students and early-career professionals) to learn topics of rising interest, engage in intensive discussion, and explore the topic from different perspectives. A workshop could include, but need not be limited to, introductory mini-courses, case study sessions, creation of collaborative projects, mentorship programs, career training sessions, and panel discussions on grant-writing or professional opportunities. A technical session should align with the themes/topics of the conference and consist of either oral presentations or panel discussions focusing on a specific topic. A max 2-page proposal is welcomed by using the Session/Workshop Proposal Template. You are also encouraged to discuss your ideas with the conference chair/co-chairs. The proposal submission is due on January 30, 2023.

Stay tuned for more information on our conference website: www.people-network.ca/

Dr. Bing Chen (Chair), Dr. Catherine Mulligan (Co-Chair), Dr. Chunjiang An (Co-Chair)

PEOPLE 2023 International Conference