We recognize and appreciate the result of your individual efforts you have made, contributing to a healthier and cleaner planet in the past year. We are looking forward to a new year that brings new challenges and opportunities.
We want to build on our successes of the past year, with many highlights to mention. An important overarching global step has been reached in regard to access to a clean and healthy environment being established as a universal human right. Undeniably, your organisation, your university, your municipality or you as an individual member contributed (in)directly.
ISWA contributed with many interesting publications, from ‘the Future of the Waste Management Sector’ report, to the declaration on Climate Change – which was recognised by many of our National Members.
Of course, our successful presence at COP26 with an official side event on open burning needs to be mentioned as well!
Besides this global outreach, we saw stronger cooperation with our international partners, a growing membership base, internationalisation of the members of our Working Groups, and a variety of webinars for (non)members on every topic you can think of.
For 2022, we are ready to keep this momentum going – we don’t want to sit still, but constantly improve. From a General Secretariat perspective, we sincerely hope to be able to meet all of you in person again. Networking within our ISWA community is perceived as one of the main drivers of your membership.
Many in-person meetings are already scheduled, not only through our presence at congresses and fairs, but also at Working Group Meetings, educational study tours and more. Hopefully the 2022 ISWA World Congress, hosted in Singapore, will serve as one of the in-person highlights of 2022.
Besides our wish to get in-person contact with our community, we will work hard to find a proper hybrid model for our members where needed, increase our membership value further, and continue connecting to global themes. We also hope to launch the ISWA Academy, prepare the Scientific & Technical Committee work plan until 2024 and make sure we create the operational excellence that is needed.
Last but not least, we expect to publish our most important report to date, the Global Waste Management Outlook 2, in collaboration with the United Nations Environmental Program.
As work is an integral part of our life and also a good source of happiness, please make sure you enjoy every day of contributing to an earth where waste does not exist.
Have a beautiful, wonderful and successful 2022!
Marc Tijhuis
