UNIDO’s Post

The Global Greenchem Innovation and Network Programme The Project was approved by the GEF on 19 February 2022. The objective of the project is to strengthen the sound management of industrial chemicals and their waste through better control, reduction, and/or elimination protocols, and specifically to scale up green chemistry solutions for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury replacement through capacity building, innovation, and the creation of a global green chemistry network fostering visibility, support, and implementation. Manufacturing of inherently hazardous materials occurs around the world. Workers and communities, especially in emerging economies, are being exposed to chemicals with proven associated risks and hazards. The fact that these chemicals are still produced is mainly due to technological lock-in and the prohibitive initial deployment and substitution costs to make green chemistry alternatives available in these countries. Global agreements for continued POPs and mercury use, the growing global threat of microplastics, and the barriers to deploying green chemistry alternatives at scale represent persistent source of harm for human health and the environment.  Green Chemistry focuses on the development and application of chemicals with inherently benign and beneficial properties at all stages of their life cycles. Its purpose is not simply to reduce pollution through the elimination of hazards associated with chemical, reagents, solvents, and products, but also to ensure that sustainability is considered already in the design process for innovations in the area. Green Chemistry touches virtually every business sector—food, energy, plastics, cosmetics, cleaning products, pharmaceuticals, etc. Due to the nature of green chemistry, it is an essential building block and guiding principle for the development of a circular economy. Accordingly, UNIDO launched a global initiative to deploy Green Chemistry approaches and technologies in 2017. Various partners supported the initiative, including the Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale, Braskem, and National Cleaner Production Centers (NCPCs) from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. Encouraged by this first project and taking into consideration the recommendations of the following independent evaluation, UNIDO, in close collaboration with Yale, developed the Global Green Chemistry Initiative (GGCI).    #GreenChemistry #GGCINP #Yale #UnitedNations #Chemistry

Innovation, collaboration and public/private sector partnerships built today’s chemical industry. The necessary transition of this industry to green and sustainable chemistry will require the same. So, it is possible to make 2024 the year that green chemistry takes off! Find out how we are making this happen at Change Chemistry (formerly Green Chemistry & Commerce Council (GC3)) https://lnkd.in/g2qs7HDs

PUBLICATION | Green Chemistry Researchers from the CiTOS: Center for Integrated Technology and Organic Synthesis demonstrate how glycerol carbonate, a bio-sourced industrial additive, can be produced in record time using CO2 and a by-product of the cooking oil recycling industry. The process relies on a hybrid approach combining fundamental physical organic chemistry and applied flow process technology. Two industrial wastes are thus converted into glycerol carbonate, a bio-sourced rising star with high added value. Jean-Christophe Monbaliu | Claire Muzyka | Sébastien Renson | Bruno Grignard | Christophe Detrembleur | Angewandte Chemie | Michel Moutschen | Gauthier Eppe | Didier Mattivi | F.R.S. - FNRS

🔬 Exciting News in Fuel Journal! 🔍 Thrilled to share that our latest paper, featured in Fuel, diving into the fascinating realm of pyrolysis processes. 📑 Our team at Pyrowave and Polytechnique Montréal have been investigating the impact of cellulosic contamination on the depolymerization of polystyrene, and the results are in! 🌿 Key findings reveal that cellulose plays a pivotal role in altering the production dynamics of styrene monomer and ethylbenzene. The study underscores the crucial need to address contaminants before pyrolysis, ensuring maximal output of high-value chemicals while steering clear of undesirable chemical interactions. 👏 Kudos to our dedicated colleagues at Polytechnique Montréal for their contributions to this research. Check out the full article below for an in-depth exploration of how our findings are shaping the future of sustainable chemical processes. 🌍🔄 #FuelChemistry #SustainableInnovation #ResearchBreakthrough #Pyrolysis #ChemicalEngineering https://lnkd.in/eCr8ejt6 Jamal Chaouki Philippe Leclerc

Our view on the SotA of organic electrode materials and required future steps

Meet Professor Gyorgy Szekely, who has continuously worked towards bringing sustainability to chemical separations, with a focus on developing energy-efficient membrane separations from recycled polymer and agricultural waste. Learn more about his work at KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) and The Szekely Group and how he's using green chemistry to bring sustainability to his research career here. #Sustainability #SustainableChemistry #GreenChemistry

CCU SCIENCE I Transforming the Chemical Industry: Greening Pathways and Net-Zero Goals with Sustainable Carbon Feedstocks The chemical sector, which contributes to 3% of worldwide CO₂ emissions, is transforming. With fossil fuels deeply entrenched in its processes, the journey towards defossilisation presents significant challenges. The new paper “From Fossil to Green Chemicals: Sustainable Pathways and New Carbon Feedstocks For the Global Chemical Industry”, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, discusses the challenges and solutions for reducing the chemical industry's reliance on fossil fuels and its carbon emissions. It suggests that developing green carbon feedstocks like electricity-based and biomass-based methanol can help. The paper also presents scenarios for achieving net-zero emissions by 2040, 2050, and 2060, highlighting the potential for electricity-based chemicals (e-chemicals) to be the most cost-effective way to transition the industry to sustainability. The study was co-authored by our SAC member Christian Breyer, Professor at LUT University, Tuomas Koiranen, Dominik Keiner, Mahdi Fasihi and Gabriel Lopez. Find the paper at https://shorturl.at/esvT2.

Meet Professor Gyorgy Szekely, who has continuously worked towards bringing sustainability to chemical separations, with a focus on developing energy-efficient membrane separations from recycled polymer and agricultural waste. Learn more about his work at KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) and The Szekely Group and how he's using green chemistry to bring sustainability to his research career here. #Sustainability #SustainableChemistry #GreenChemistry

Interesting study focusing on #sustainablechemistry, #processengineering, #polymermaterialsscience, and #digitaltechnologies.

🌱 UK Leads Sustainable Chemicals Revolution: The University of Oxford with Professor Charlotte Williams OBE at the helm spearheads the new Sustainable Chemicals and Materials Manufacturing Hub (SCHEMA), a pioneering venture in transforming chemical and polymer industries. Funded by the UKRI EPSRC with £11m and £22m from partners, SCHEMA unites UK academia and industry to innovate for a cleaner, greener future. 🧪🔋🔄 As a nexus for sustainability, the Hub taps into a wealth of expertise from Oxford, Bath, Liverpool, Cardiff, York, and Cambridge, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration to revolutionise how we design, create, and recycle materials. With a keen eye on net zero goals, researchers delve into renewable raw materials and energy integration, moving away from dependency on petrochemicals. This trailblazing initiative trains the next-gen leaders in postdoctoral and early career researchers, cementing the UK's global leadership in sustainable manufacturing. It's not just about the environment; it's about securing a buoyant, innovative economy for tomorrow. 🇬🇧♻️ #SustainableManufacturing #Innovation #GreenChemistry