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By Adelina Voutchkova, ACS Director of Sustainable Development and the Green Chemistry Institute
In September, ACS GCI and Change Chemistry joined forces to host the inaugural ACS-Change Chemistry Sustainability Leader Summit, gathering sustainability leaders to brainstorm barriers and strategies to accelerate green and sustainable chemistry. This summit aligned with Climate Week NYC 2024 and aimed to elevate the role of green chemistry in addressing corporate sustainability goals. Leaders across the chemical manufacturing and formulated products sectors came together to share challenges, collaborate on solutions, and advance climate action by advancing innovation and adoption of scalable, innovative green chemistry technologies.
This gathering was driven by a recognition of the complex regulatory and market challenges industries face in advancing sustainability. It also highlighted the urgent need to align industry action with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Attendees discussed the need for demand and supply side incentives, consistent yet flexible sustainability reporting that includes green chemistry, and making a stronger business case for investment. Key insights included the need for frameworks to improve data transparency and reporting that are consistent with emerging policy frameworks. These conversations underscored the importance of cross-sector collaboration, academic partnerships, and investor education to build momentum for green chemistry. If you’re interested in participating in future iterations of this convening, contact us at gci@acs.org.
The summit took place alongside the 2024 EPA/ACS Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, where leaders in industry, small business, and academia were recognized for transformative contributions, as reported recently by C&EN.
Looking ahead, we're pleased to announce the upcoming 2024 ACS Campaign for a Sustainable Future SDG Summit, dedicated to Clean Water and Sanitation. Titled "Putting Chemistry to Work for Clean Water," this virtual summit will convene scientists, industry experts, and global thought leaders to discuss innovations in chemistry that are pivotal for clean water access and quality. This free, global event will provide an opportunity to learn from pioneering research and explore collaborative solutions to one of our world’s most pressing issues.
In this issue, Ashley Baker features interviews with two of the summit organizers—both editors of ACS journals: Fernando Rosario-Ortiz (Environmental Science & Technology) and Bryan Brooks (Environmental Science & Technology Letters).
We hope you’ll join us in December for this significant and inspiring event!