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Sustainable chemistry: starting points and prospects
Stefan Böschen1, Dieter Lenoir, Martin Scheringer
1Institut für Soziologie, Universitätsstrasse 6, 86159 Augsburg, Germany.
Die Naturwissenschaften
|March 22, 2003
Summary
Sustainable chemistry (SC) optimizes processes and products for environmental and safety benefits. It also requires greater transparency and explicit treatment of uncertainty in research to better align science with societal needs.
Area of Science:
- Chemistry
- Environmental Science
- Sociology of Science
Background:
- Sustainable chemistry (SC) is an emerging field focused on optimizing chemical processes and products.
- Current SC assessment systems primarily use quantitative indicators for environmental and safety aspects.
- The societal dimension of sustainability is often overlooked in chemical research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the concept of sustainable chemistry (SC).
- To highlight the importance of integrating societal aspects into SC.
- To propose requirements for a more sustainable scientific practice in chemistry.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual review of sustainable chemistry principles.
- Analysis of existing assessment systems for chemical processes and products.
- Discussion of societal integration through transparency and explicit uncertainty management.
Main Results:
- SC involves optimizing processes/products for resource efficiency, safety, and degradability.
- SC must incorporate societal aspects: transparency of research objectives/implications and explicit handling of uncertainty.
- Examples from environmental chemistry and green chemistry illustrate progress, but the societal aspect needs wider recognition.
Conclusions:
- Sustainable chemistry requires both technical optimization and societal integration.
- Making research transparent and addressing uncertainty are crucial for a sustainable scientific practice.
- Integrating SC into chemical education is essential for its broader adoption and impact.
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