Sustainable chemistry

The reports from GIEC and ADEME are alerting on the important societal risks associated with climate change. Beside this aspect of the human fingerprint, the pollution of the environment gives rise to additional toxicological and epidemiological risks. Therefor rising part of the economy, industry and research implement sustainability in their policy or direct their activities in order to provide sustainable technologies. As a consequence, it is worth to provide education to the future chemist who should face this new challenge/constraint.

The course is composed of a lecture part (12h) illustrating the context of climate and ecosystem changes as well as some chemical research domain responding to sustainable development goals. Then during a second active learning part (6h), the student (group of 3-4) should on their own look for a research article reporting results that may have an impact for sustainable development. The students should present to peers (i) the scientific content and (ii) the sustainable development goal it is related to, based on reports of GIEC, ADEME, or CCC.

The aims of this course are (i) to remind the global scientific and economic context of climate and ecosystem changes induced by human activities, (ii) to identify some domains in which chemical research and technology can implement sustainable alternatives solutions, (ii) to provide an overview of the research themes that respond to the need for sustainable development and (iv) to link research article with sustainable development goals reported in reports from GIEC, ADEME or CCC (french convention citoyenne pour le climat).

Basis of sustainable development