The role of audited benefits in Industrial Symbiosis: The U.K. National Industrial Symbiosis Programme

The UK National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP), the first national industrial symbiosis (IS) programme, is'sustainability in action', accruing environmental, economic and social benefits. NISP brings together companies and organisations of all sectors and sizes, generating significant environmental benefits such as reduced greenhouse gases and landfill diversion, as well as cost reductions and new sales. This in turn encourages economic activity, which generates further social benefits with the creation of new businesses and jobs, and stimulates process improvements for industry through innovation and new technologies. For the NISP practitioner, quantification of IS benefits is vital to substantiate the business case necessary to secure engagement with industry, and to secure credibility and hence funding from government, underscoring the importance of metrics and measurement in industrial symbiosis programmes. The external audit system was put in place to demonstrate value for money from a novel business-opportunity approach to accomplishing the goals, both economic and environmental, of the programme's funders. However the benefits of measurement have gone well beyond this initial need to helping the programme directors understand the needs of the participating companies, and areas for improvement in the programme's operations.