Newsletter Q1 '22: Sustainability in Vietnam, Japan and Roosendaal

The film is a shamefully realistic portrayal of two astronomers’ attempts to get the masses to notice an incoming comet and our planet's impending doom. The story, driven by fear, panic, and a lack of coherency from our media and leaders, is an apt metaphor for the need for collective action to avert the climate crisis.

Back in reality, we’re continuing to make positive steps toward climate-proofing our world, this time most notably with Orchid City and the Estonian Industrial Symbiosis agro-park (EISAP). This year we’re expanding into East Asia, notably Japan and Vietnam. Read more about our adventures in sustainability, new projects, and new members below.

Thanks for supporting our journey, and I wish you all an inspirational and successful year.

Amongst all the self-interested innovators, powerful politicians, activists and doomsayers, who are we to believe in predicting the effects of climate change? Who can we trust for an objective look at possible futures? What will our new normal be, and should we be worried?

This Except long read reveals our findings from several months of research into the climate debate, revealing an unexpected but important source of insight. 

Read how the military and insurance sectors are the most reliable predictors and rational voices of our future climate. Yet somewhat surprisingly, their viewpoints are rarely heard.

Read full article →

We have been busy working toward realizing the world’s first fully sustainable and self-sufficient city. Although the Orchid City project is only a few years old, it culminates over 20 years of our knowledge and experience in circular energy, sustainable agriculture, city and community design.

Highlights of last year include:

• The public launch of Orchid City and its website
• Winning a Stimuleringsfonds grant to model Orchid City on the municipality of Middelburg
• Starting a focused partner and location search in Vietnam, resulting in several new local partners
• Establishing a growing international consortium of over 20 partners in Europe, Japan, Vietnam, and beyond
• Keynote speeches revealing insights from Orchid City at over a dozen conferences in the Netherlands, Estonia, Japan, and Vietnam­­

Learn more →

Together with the Estonian government and our development partner IVIA, we have finalized the concept for the Estonian Industrial Symbiosis Agro-Park (EISAP). 

This master plan outlines a world-class design and a significant opportunity for Estonia to turn away from a reliance on fossil fuels. 

Industrial symbiosis processes help regenerate the site of an old 1500ha oil-shale strip-mine. It integrates waste heat from an existing Enefit power station and creates circular loops from waste generated within the agro-industries in the park.  

EISAP promises to deliver 700 permanent regional jobs, create significant reductions in energy, emissions, water use, and boost local biodiversity.

Find out more →

For the Dutch municipality of Roosendaal, we redeveloped a parking lot into the climate adaptive garden, “Stadstuin van Hasselt.” Additionally, we’re working to make the city future-proof to rising waters and more scenically walkable by reimagining streetscapes and alley networks. 

Before breaking ground the concept won the 2021 Lighthouse Award.

Read more →

Esquire and Deeper magazines in Japan published feature stories on our two decades of work, and recent collaboration with Japan to help its advancements in sustainability.

As a nation surrounded by sea and rising waters, it’s critical that Japan focus on more sustainable developments and long-term solutions. Together with Neuromagic Amsterdam, we redesigned and translated into Japanese the Symbiosis in Development (SiD) Quickguide.

With thousands of downloads already, the SiD Quickguide gives Japanese audiences access to the most complete systems thinking framework for sustainable development.

Learn about SiD →

It has been a long time in the making, and we are pretty chuffed to announce we finally have a brand new website and domain.

Except.eco thoroughly documents our 22 years of sustainable innovation across six continents. It was no easy task, but it’s finally here. Our decades of case studies, knowledge articles, and services are now accessible on all types of devices.

Explore new site →

Orchid City takes a lot of creative thinking, planning, and know-how. So we've added several new Except members, including architects, researchers, sustainability experts, and communications specialists. 

Learn what they do on the new site.

Meet the new team →

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