Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) Professionals

We are excited to announce that the Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC) has created the CIC Green Subject Division. Its objective is to bring together the community of researchers and practitioners of the Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC) and Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSChE) who identify as contributing to, or having an interest in, green chemistry and chemical engineering.
 
The new Green Subject Division will:

• Organize symposia on green and sustainable chemistry, technology, and chemical engineering at the annual CSC and CSChE conferences. 
• Bolster industrial participation at the annual CSC and CSChE conferences. 
• Provide professional training in green/sustainable practices at the annual CSC and CSChE conferences. 
• Present Canadian Green Chemistry and Engineering Awards. 
• …and further activities that will serve our community.

*Save the date*
The Green Division's inaugural Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held by Zoom on Tuesday, Jun.18 at 1 PM ET.

Join Zoom Meeting 
Meeting ID: 850 7250 8961
Passcode: 871250

The AGM can be accessed via the Green Division Webpage.

Positions of leadership are open! At the AGM, we will elect a Division Chair, Division Vice-Chair, and Division Secretary-Treasurer as well as up to six (6) Division Members at Large.  If you or someone you know would be interested, please ask them to communicate with Joelle Pelletier at joelle.pelletier@umontreal.ca. Spread the news to your research group and colleagues!
 
If you will attend CSC 2024 in Winnipeg, we will also be holding an Information Session on Tuesday June 4 from 5:20 to 7:20 (Central Time) in Room 9.  Please drop by, learn more and get involved. All those interested in green and sustainable chemistry, technology and chemical engineering are welcome, including students and postdocs: we invite all to contribute to shaping the new Green Subject Division. 
 
We look forward to working with you to make the CIC Green Subject Division part of our future.
 

The Philippine Chemistry Congress is the biggest annual conference of chemists, chemistry educators and chemistry researchers in the Philippines. This brings chemists from academe, industry and government together in one venue to interact, share new knowledge and to collaborate. The 38PCC&2024IC2 will also feature technical exhibitors who will be able to showcase new products that can improve your performance and productivity, create partnerships, and generate new ideas.

On the territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations of the Pacific Northwest, the trees are deep in conversation and negotiation via mycelial networks. The salmon return to make the stream bed fresh and cool for the next generation, while coastal nurseries provide a place to rest where old meets new and salty meets sweet.

Join us for a week to observe and explore how Nature creates the richness and complexity of life through chemistry. Adventure through the ecotones to learn the ways in which Nature operates at the molecular scale to communicate, assemble/ disassemble, purify, clean, colorize, protect, detect, repair, and a host of other functionalities that parallel those needed in commerce.  

Tune your senses through exploration, experience, and experts to understand the critical ways in which Nature’s chemistry differs from modern commercial chemistries to achieve the same functional end, and how this learning can broaden and benefit your approach to Nature-positive R&D.

The fields of chemistry and biomimicry will converge to explore the profound lessons nature offers for shaping a world characterized by high-performing chemistry strategies and materials that benefit the people and places in which they are made, used, and managed. Sip tea and watch the eelgrass sway while you practice Biomimicry Thinking with Nature’s recipes and methods.

While the content is designed with the non-chemist in mind, chemistry professionals will gain valuable insights into Nature’s life-friendly chemistry principles and hands-on training using the biomimicry research methodology.

Throughout this workshop, our world-renowned biomimicry instructors will teach participants to: 

• Recognize the roles chemistry plays in the natural world and their relevance to the roles chemistry plays in commerce and industry,
• Distinguish between biotic and abiotic chemistries in the natural world,
• Discover the principles underlying Nature’s elegant and sophisticated life-friendly chemistries,
• Understand the principles underlying Nature’s multifunctional, life-friendly chemistry-based materials,
• Use Biomimicry Thinking tools to abstract chemistry design principles and deep patterns from specific, function-based natural strategies, and
• Apply Biomimicry Thinking tools to solve a chemistry-related challenge.

This workshop is open to professional and university-level participants from all backgrounds and levels of experience with biomimicry. The agenda is designed for:

• Innovators within commercial sectors touched by chemistry, such as chemicals, cosmetics, packaging, textiles, electronics, personal care, medical, and energy, who are interested in bringing Nature’s Chemistry and materials genius to their project work and innovation strategies through Biomimicry Thinking.
• Innovators without chemistry training who are interested in gaining the knowledge that would allow them to be productive partners alongside professional chemists as they work to bring Nature’s Chemistry and materials genius to their project work and innovation strategies.
• Sustainability champions who want to be inspired by the natural world at the molecular scale as they work to solve humanity’s toughest sustainability challenges.
• Educators who want to bring Nature’s Chemistry and materials genius into the classroom.
• Students enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Biomimicry program with Arizona State University interested in the Biomimicry Specialist Certification. This Immersion Workshop counts as one of two required in-person units. Learn more about the requirements for the Biomimicry Specialist Certification here.

In June 2023 AASHE piloted the first Sustainability Education Forum. Over 140 registrants from 13 countries across five continents came together to discuss and listen about the challenges and opportunities for sustainability education. Attendees felt that the event facilitated “inspiring, engaging, and meaningful discussions,” provided “a very holistic way of structuring learning and sharing,” and fostered “an inspirational sense of community.” Read more about the 2023 event in this article and these testimonials.

We’d like to build upon that experience and invite you to join the Sustainability Education Forum 2024 on June 6 & 7! Let’s come together, share our expertise and co-create our emerging future. What and how do we teach students given the urgency of the times? How do we “fall-forward” on issues related to sustainability teaching and learning in higher education? Let’s use this opportunity to listen and speak about the issues that matter to interdisciplinary sustainability educators.
 

Are higher education institutions simply reverting to how things were done pre-pandemic or can we use this opportunity to truly redesign systems? New and different voices need to be heard and conversations need to catalyze actionable change. On June 6 and 7, let’s talk with each other, think with each other and respectfully challenge each other’s ideas in order to advance sustainability education across the curriculum.

The Sustainability Education Forum (SEF) will provide space to explore these possibilities and more. Per the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a forum is “a public meeting place for open discussion” and this is what the SEF offers – a space for authentic conversations, where we can engage as a community and with each other. Throughout the SEF, you will have plenty of chances to exchange ideas and make new professional connections, while gaining inspiration and an opportunity to recharge your own efforts. 

Intended Audience
 

This is the event to attend if you’re:

• a faculty in any discipline who is engaged with sustainability education
• interested in or just starting incorporating sustainability literacy in your courses
• considering building a sustainability curriculum development program at your institution
• new or a veteran at building sustainability across the curriculum programs
• involved with sustainability-degree programs
• a sustainability staff who is involved with curriculum initiatives
• an instructional designer supporting faculty incorporating sustainability in their courses
• anyone interested in sustainability education and research at higher education institutions.

At this event, you will connect with others who approach their work with the same sense of urgency that you do. It is these types of connections that serve us throughout the years; they make the hard times manageable and the good times fun. Join us and let’s make some good times — together!

Event Dates: The SEF will take place on Thursday, June 6 and Friday, June 7 spanning multiple timezones. See tentative schedule.

Join this free webinar from Green Rose Chemistry to learn how you can accelerate change in your organisation by advocating for sustainable chemistry. This webinar is empowering, practical, and completely free. Anyone can create change!

What will you learn?

• How green chemistry can provide environmental and social benefits 
• The business value of green chemistry, including market opportunities and risk avoidance
• Strategies for effectively promoting green chemistry in your workplace with clear examples
• Case studies of employees successfully bringing about change from within their companies

The webinar will be delivered by Anna Zhenova, CEO & Founder of Green Rose Chemistry and IUK Unlocking Potential Award winner. Anna is a green chemist with a passion for the innovative side of sustainable chemistry. She excels in translating academic expertise to real-world applications, and wants to help you accelerate the transition to more sustainable materials.

Register now and join the green industrial revolution!

Poor indoor air quality poses a significant threat to human health, with various construction products such as paint, furniture, wood flooring and carpets being potential contributors to unhealthy indoor air. These materials often release harmful chemicals into the environment, posing risks to occupants over an extended period after installation. The resultant health issues are diverse and underscore the multifaceted impact on individuals within built environments.

Addressing these risks necessitates a strategic shift towards the utilization of soy and other bio based building materials, which not only enhance indoor air quality but also align with sustainable practices. Biobased materials offer a myriad of advantages, including a reduced carbon footprint, lower volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, and improved performance compared to their petrochemical-based counterparts. Beyond their environmental benefits, these renewable and low-toxicity materials actively contribute to meeting compliance standards, such as the International Green Construction Code and the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification system.

Thrust Areas

Green Chemistry

Nanomaterials & Nano Chemistry

Computational Chemistry

Supramolecular Chemistry

Atmospheric Chemistry

Photocatalysis

Sustainable Cement Production

Organic Synthesis and catalysis

Chemical Biology

Biodegradable Plastics & Polymer Composites

Bio-catalysis & Biomaterials

Biosensors

Biofuels & Biorefining

Computational Modelling and AI in Drug Development

Toxicology & Narcotics

Natural Products and Phytochemicals

Groundwater and Wastewater Remediation

Water Quality and Research

Air quality Monitoring

Agrochemicals & Agro-contaminants

Bioremediation

Green Building Materials

Photovoltaics and Supercapacitors

Environmental Education and Awareness

Hydrogen Energy

Efficient Energy Materials

Nanoelectronics and Battery Research

Sensor and Electrochemical Sensing

Drinking and waste Water chemistry and related Technology

Electrocatalysis

Nano Emulsions, Coatings & Adhesives

Alternative Energy Resources

Sustainable Energy Policies

Drug Designing & Pharmacology

Drug Development and Formulations

Process Development

Sustainable Production & Management in Industries

Advances towards Net Zero

Rain Water Harvesting

Air Quality Monitoring

Symposium:

The GCI is a student organization focused on raising awareness and promoting green chemistry practices within the chemistry community. In partnership with McGill University, we are currently organizing our 9th annual GCI Symposium, “Making Greener Choices: A more sustainable approach to chemistry”, that aims to encourage students to implement more sustainable practices in their research, teaching and careers. 

Our events are designed to connect students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty members interested in Green Chemistry with current leaders in the field to discuss advances in chemical processes and the future of sustainable research practices.  This year we will be featuring speakers from academia and industry, as well as a student-led panel discussion and a workshop with ACS Green Chemistry Institute. 

Posters:

We will also be hosting a poster session which we encourage your students to submit an abstract for. Abstracts are limited to 200 characters. The inclusion or mention of Green Chemistry elements or aspects is not a prerequisite for the submission of poster abstracts. However, all presenters are invited to look for opportunities to talk about Green Chemistry within the context of their research. Posters from previous conferences are welcome!  

Travel Scholarships:

We are offering travel scholarships to contribute towards the commute and accommodation expenses. The amount awarded will depend on the total estimated expenditure of each attendee.

Speaker Lineup:

Additional Information:

ICCE is a global platform for educators, teachers, chemists, and scientists around the world to bring chemical education closer to sustainable prosperity and pave the way to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Specifically, the objectives are:
1) To provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge and ideas related to chemical education among researchers, educators, students, and other stakeholders from around the world.
2) To facilitate collaboration and networking among individual and institutions involved in chemical education, with the aim of fostering partnerships and joint initiatives that can improve the quality and accessibility of chemical education globally.
3) To contribute to the achievement of the UN SDGs by promoting the role of chemistry education in addressing global challenges such as climate change and inequality.

The program is designed to discuss the role of chemistry education not only in classroom setting but also in societal context. Novel teaching and learning methods in chemistry are still the key topics in this conference. Professional development of educators at all levels (school and university) will be included. Societal context of chemistry education such as sustainability, ethics, diversity, equity, and inclusion will also be emphasized in this conference.

The program will include nine sessions:
1) Chemistry Education in Informal Setting and Life-long Learning Context
2) Redesigning Chemistry Laboratory Teaching
3) Innovative technology for chemistry education
4) Systems thinking in Chemistry Education
5) Chemistry and Science Teacher Education and Continuous Professional Development
6) Chemistry Education for Environmental and Social Sustainability
7) Policy, Reform, and Quality Assurance in Chemistry Education
8) Ethics, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Chemistry Education
9) Emerging Educational Trends in Chemistry in the 21st Century

ICCE 2024 will also include the 12th International Symposium on Microscale Chemistry.

Don’t miss this webinar to learn about the world of certifying soy and other bio-based materials for sustainable product programs. Our speakers will provide you with valuable insights into the certification process and its benefits within the sustainable products market. Discover the intricacies of certification for programs such as:

1. USDA BioPreferred
2. CleanGredients
3. EPA Safer Choice
4. The Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s (SPC’s) CleanPackage
5. ChemFORWARD SAFER
6. GreenScreen
7. Cradle to Cradle

Our expert presenters will break down the essential steps and requirements for obtaining these certifications. They'll demystify each program, guide you through the process, and address common challenges that may arise along the way. Whether you're a manufacturer, producer, or supplier, this webinar is your compass to navigate the certification landscape successfully