Education in green chemistry and in sustainable chemistry: perspectives towards sustainability

Abstract

Central role of future professionals in chemistry to promote alternatives towards sustainability.

Abstract

Innovation in green and sustainable technologies requires highly qualified professionals, who have critical, inter/transdisciplinary and system thinking mindsets. In this context, green chemistry education (GCE) and sustainable chemistry education (SCE) have received increasing attention, especially in recent years. However, gaps remain in further understanding the historical roots of green chemistry (GC) and sustainable chemistry (SC), their differences, similarities, as well the implications of this wider comprehension into curricula. Building on existing initiatives, further efforts are needed at all levels to mainstream GCE and SCE into chemistry and other education curricula and teaching, including gathering and disseminating best practices and forging new and strengthened partnerships at the national, regional and global levels. The latest perspectives for education and capacity building on GC and towards SC will be presented, demonstrating their crucial role to transform human resources, institutional and infrastructural settings in all sectors on a large scale, to generate effective cutting-edge knowledge that can be materialised in greener and more sustainable products and processes in a challenging world.