Perspectives from the 2022 cohort of the American Chemical Society Summer School on Green Chemistry & Sustainable Energy

Abstract

The field of chemistry is uniquely equipped to solve many current and impending global challenges; however, minimizing potential negative impacts on the environment, society, and the economy requires a holistic approach to developing new processes and chemicals. For this reason, there is an urgent need to incorporate green chemistry and systems thinking into chemistry-based disciplines so that the most sustainable, least toxic, and least resource-intensive research directions and methods are prioritized. The next generation of researchers and instructors is poised to implement these approaches; however, most graduate curricula do not include coursework on green chemistry and systems thinking. Every year, the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute hosts the Summer School on Green Chemistry & Sustainable Energy for early career researchers to learn about green chemistry and systems thinking approaches for tackling sustainability goals. In this Perspective, 2022 summer school participants highlight sustainability challenges in their own work that can be addressed using the skills and knowledge acquired at the summer school, including in carbon capture, organic pharmaceutical synthesis, nanomaterial synthesis, catalysis, and other areas. In addition, how green chemistry can meet practical needs in industry settings and be infused in education and government policy is discussed.