The production of energy from alternative sources and its impact on climate change are among the main strategic tools implicated in the sustainable development of our society. Numerous types of biomass and wastes contribute towards the production of energy and reduction in the use of fossil fuels by means of biological, chemical and thermal processes. Existing biomass and waste to energy technologies are currently undergoing rapid development. Despite growing interest in the use of these technologies, in many countries their implementation remains limited.

The aim of the Venice 2010 Symposium is to focus on the advances made in the application of technologies for energy recovery from biomass and waste and to encourage discussion in these fields. The previous edition of the Symposium, held in 2008, was attended by 600 scientists and operators from 60 different countries.

The third edition of the Symposium will last four days and will include oral sessions, a poster session, a small exhibition by companies working in the field and technical tours.

The Symposium is organized by the International Waste Working Group (IWWG) with the scientific support of the Universities of Dresden, Hokkaido, Padua, Rostock and Singapore.

The IWWG (www.iwwg.eu) is a registered not-for-profit organisation aiming to provide an intellectual platform to encourage and support integrated and sustainable waste management and to promote practical scientific development in the field. The group was conceived in 2002 as a think tank, whose work would be based on scientific principles oriented towards practical application. The IWWG is structured in such a way as to allow it to focus on a range of subjects, to react promptly to problems in the field, and to communicate efficiently within the professional community. The official journal of IWWG, Waste Management, published by Elsevier, has the highest impact factor in the field. Among the activities of IWWG is the organization of the world-renowned Sardinia Symposium (further information on the website www.sardiniasymposium.it).