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The Center for Green Chemistry & Green Engineering at Yale is collaborating with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) on a three-year project to increase the general global awareness and capacities on deployable green chemistry in developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
This project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is part of the Yale-UNIDO Global Green Chemistry Initiative and was developed in response to the increasing variety and complexity of chemicals and the need to make the products safer and their manufacturing processes less polluting.
The Initiative consists of series of workshops in six countries where green chemistry experts deliver a one-day green chemistry awareness workshop, followed by a five-day training workshop developed for participants from industry, academia, non-profits and government. All workshops provide hands-on tools and materials to assist with the design of products and processes that advance global sustainability. In addition to the workshops—taking place in Brazil, Serbia, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Egypt and South Africa—the Center is also developing a university curriculum for students to teach green chemistry to undergraduates as early as their freshman year. This work is done in collaboration with Beyond Benign and will include lecture materials, laboratory exercises, and videos that are developed by students around the world.
“We are thrilled to be leading this project and to be working with the local and international green chemistry communities to develop the most effective way to disseminate green chemistry materials to countries around the world. So far the feedback we received has been fantastic and the workshops have been very well received by participating countries. We are eager to do more.” said Karolina Mellor, Ph.D., one of the Yale-UNIDO project managers.
“Thanks to UNIDO and GEF generosity, and the wonderful support from students, faculty and our local partners, we are able to do work that has the potential to impact countries’ sustainable development,” added Dr. Mellor.
As the project develops, the Yale-UNIDO Global Green Chemistry Initiative plans to engage the green chemistry community to develop a comprehensive compendium of green chemistry and green engineering technologies that include the broad array of innovations that are commercially available today. The document will provide a comprehensive collection of green technologies within developed and transitioning countries.
The Yale-UNIDO Initiative will be highlighted by Professor Paul Anastas, Ph.D., at the 2018 Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference in Portland, Oregon at the session “Providing guidance for a wide distribution and implementation of green chemistry to developing countries and economies in transition,” where student videos will be shown and our strategy of community engagement will be outlined.
Awareness Raising Workshop in Belgrade, Serbia