As the decarbonization movement grows around the world, many cross-border collaborations have formed to build capacity to advance sustainability. A prime example of this phenomenon is the blossoming knowledge exchange between the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and Denmark, in which policymakers from Washington and Oregon traveled to Denmark to study the city of Kalundborg‘s pioneering industrial symbiosis project. Inspired by Kalundborg’s success in promoting reuse of surplus resources and waste materials and utilization of clean energy, these U.S. policymakers soon launched similar initiatives in their home states to support pilots for reuse of waste and use of renewable hydrogen.

Washington-based sustainability focused nonprofit Center for Sustainable Infrastructure (CSI) played an instrumental role in developing the knowledge exchange with Denmark. Washington CORE spoke with CSI Executive Director Rhys Roth about the success of the exchange and strong potential for developing a similar exchange with Japan, which is seeking opportunities to promote its own world-class industrial symbiosis initiatives and take a greater role on the global stage