NGO/non-profit

The 1st forum hosted by Polytechnique Montreal welcomed delegates remotely and in person from 32 countries and 30 scientific disciplines. We addressed the mechanics and ethics of publishing research, authorship, reporting data, journal metrics, and writing.

The second edition of this event held in Galapagos Ecuador addressed concerns related to indigenous languages, equity diversity and inclusion, and publication ethics. More than 50 contributions were received from delegates from 18 countries and 4 continents, including Ecuador, Venezuela, Chile, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Israel, Brazil, United States, Spain, Austria, Germany, Zimbabwe, Russia, and South Africa. We also had the participation of three plenary speakers Dr. Olga Guerrero Deputy Vice Rector of Institutional Projects of the University of Malaga (Spain), Dr. Vered Slonim-Nevo Department of Social Work, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel) and Dr. Renan Moritz Varnier De Almeida Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

Now, for the 3rd Edition of the Forum, we aim to discuss the NOVEL CHALLENGES FOR PUBLICATION ETHICS, specifically Open Science, Artificial Intelligence, Predatory Journals, Fake publications, Retractions, Authorship attribution and Non-native English speakers.

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

Join us next spring at the ACS Spring 2024 Meeting & Expo from March 17th - March 21st in New Orleans, LA, USA & Hybrid. ACS Meetings & Expositions are where chemistry professionals meet to share ideas and advance scientific and technical knowledge. By attracting thousands of chemical professionals, the meetings provide excellent opportunities for sharing your passion for chemistry, connecting with one of the world’s largest scientific societies, and advancing your career in this ever-changing global economy.

Beyond Benign Presentations:

Sunday, March 17th

• Dr. Juliana Vidal, Presenter; Dr. Amy Cannon, Dr. Natalie J O’Neil, Dr. Nimrat Obhi
  • Green Chemistry Commitment: A pathway for achieving the new ACS Guidelines for Bachelor’s Degree Programs 
  • 10:00 AM (CST) – 10:20 AM (CST) Hall B, Room 6
• Dr. Jonathon Moir, Presenter; Dr. Amy Cannon
  • Using the newly launched Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC) platform to address the updated ACS Guidelines for Bachelor’s Degree Programs
  • 4:55 PM (CST) – 5:15 PM (CST) Hall B, Room 6
• Dr. Amy Cannon, Presenter
  • Turning Passion for Sustainability into a Career in Green Chemistry Education
  • 2:20 PM (CST) – 2:35 PM (CST) Great Hall, B/C

Monday, March 18th

• Dr. Nimrat Obhi, Presenter; Dr. Natalie J O’Neil, Dr. Juliana Vidal, Dr. Amy Cannon
  • Green Chemistry Education: A Key Tool for Environmental Justice
  • 04:50 PM (CST) – 05:10 PM (CST)

Tuesday, March 19th

• Dr. Monica Nyansa, Prenter & Session Presider
  •  Student-led Community Engagement in Action
  • 3:20 PM (CST) – 3:40 PM (CST) Room 224

Beyond Benign Booth  #3231 Activities Schedule:

Come see us at booth #3231! Expo hours are 11 AM (CST) - 5 PM (CST) Monday (03/18) - Tuesday (03/19), and ends on Wednesday (03/20) at 2 PM.

Daily Raffle

(all day during expo hours)

When you come visit our booth and have your conference ID scanned, you will be entered into a raffle for a signed copy of Green Chemistry by John Warner and Paul Anastas. Winners will be announced daily during the final hour of the expo. If you are unable to retrieve your prize, it will be given to a runner up.

Meet the Expert with John Warner

(03/18 4-5 PM CST & 03/19; 12-1 PM CST)

Our co-founder, Dr. John Warner, will be visiting our booth to mingle with community members on Monday and Tuesday from 12 PM - 1 PM. Stop by to ask questions, or just to chat! See you there.

The ACS Campaign for a Sustainable Future and the Green Chemistry Institute, together with the ACS Division of Education and Beyond Benign Green Chemistry Education, invite you to attend the 2nd Annual ACS Sustainability Summit: Reimagining Chemistry Education. This summit will bring together educators and thought leaders from across the spectrum of stakeholders working to advance green chemistry and sustainability in undergraduate and graduate education as well as training for those already in the workforce.

The summit will consist of discussions among panelists and participants attending both in person and online. The focus will be on facilitating critical connections between academia and industry to catalyze the propagation of green chemistry and sustainability concepts throughout curricula while expanding educational opportunities for both students and professionals. We will also highlight urgent requirements for accessible training that can provide every chemist and engineer with opportunities to cultivate valuable skillsets that empower them to make significant contributions toward achieving the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.

In-Person Attendee - $200

Attend the 2nd Annual ACS Sustainability Summit: Reimagining Chemistry Education in person at the American Chemical Society building in Washington, DC on Thursday and Friday, December 7-8, 2023. Breakfasts and lunches on both days are included in the price, as well as a Networking Reception on Thursday night.

Virtual Attendee – Free

Attend the 2nd Annual ACS Sustainability Summit: Reimagining Chemistry Education as a virtual participant on Thursday and Friday, December 7-8, 2023. Virtual attendees will see a broadcast of the discussions and be able to comment via virtual chat. The event takes place in Eastern Standard Time, and you can join in at any point throughout the day.

The Beyond Benign Team is happy to share that our members will be attending the 2024 Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition in Winnipeg! More information including featured talks is forthcoming. We hope to see you there! See the official conference description, sourced from the CSC 2024 website, quoted in part below:

"...Our conference theme, “The Central Science”, is inspired in part by our recognition that Chemistry touches upon all scientific disciplines, and we hope that scientists studying every aspect of chemistry and its applications will gather to share their knowledge and experiences. Appropriately, Winnipeg is situated near the longitudinal centre of Canada and the geographical centre of North America, thus we will draw scholars, industry experts and early career talents from all directions to enjoy this meeting.

We look forward to welcoming you to CSC 2024 next June!"

Professor David Palmer, Department of Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan
Conference Chair

Join us in Auckland, New Zealand from November 29th to December 1st at the 8th Asia-Oceania Conference on Green and Sustainable Chemistry (AOC-GSC8)! Hear from our Co-Founders Dr. John Warner and Dr. Amy Canon in their talks. The official event description is listed below.

Following its postponement related to the COVID-19 outbreak, we are pleased to announce that the 8th Asia-Oceania Conference on Green and Sustainable Chemistry (AOC-GSC8) will be held at the University of Auckland, New Zealand from 29th November-1st December 2023. AOC-GSC is held every two years with the goal of advancing green and sustainable chemistry within the Asia-Oceania region. Past editions of this conference series have been held in cities across the region including Tokyo (2007), Beijing (2009),  Melbourne (2011), Taipei (2013), New Delhi (2015), Hong Kong (2016) and Singapore (2018).

AOC-GSC8 will encompass the latest advances across all aspects of Green and Sustainable Chemistry, broadly defined as the development of new processes that reduce the use or production of hazardous substances. Topics covered will include but are not limited to energy, green synthesis and catalysis, toxicology, waste remediation and valorisation, biobased products, green chemistry education and environmental policy and management focusing on stimulating innovation to tackle major global sustainability issues.

We look forward to welcoming you to Auckland in November 2023.

AOC-GSC8 Organising Committee

A one-day Youth Forum will be hosted in Bonn (Germany at the eagerly anticipated Fifth Session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5). Sessions will include four thematic panel presentations, a moderated intergenerational dialogue between youth and key decision-makers, and the official launch of the “Global Youth Declaration on Chemicals and Waste.”

The Youth Forum at ICCM5 will mark a historic moment for the UN and governments to hear directly from children and young people about their needs and priorities for the future of chemicals governance. Young people want to see targeted policies and programmes developed that will specifically address youth/children’s environmental health, rights, and justice in the context of chemical exposures, monitoring and risk assessments. Come join us at the Youth Forum!

Featured Panel

Educational Needs for the Transition to a Green and Sustainable Chemistry Revolution 

11:30AM-12:20PM CET

With Dr. Juliana Vidal, Higher Education Program Manager at Beyond Benign

Official Session Description:

“Remember, please remember reinforcements are on the way – they’re sitting in lecture halls now, venturing into the field for the very first time, writing theses, leading marches, organizing communities, learning to turn passion into progress, potential into power.” – Harrison Ford

With ambition high to complete the final stages of negotiations and deliver a new, effective global chemicals management framework at ICCM5, the imminent focus will soon shift to implementation. How do we couple the goals of SAICM Beyond 2020 with transformations in chemistry education already underway, that will empower current and future chemists with the skills to put sustainability and safety at the center of their work – from research, to industry, to start-up initiatives? Moreover, how can we strengthen the role of academia in capacity-building efforts for chemicals management across countries and regions?

In this session, a panel comprising young professionals/scientists, chemistry students, and representatives of institutions who are building resources and increasing access for students in green chemistry education, will reflect on the challenges and opportunities in educational systems “meeting the moment.”

Event Details

• Who: Youth, Governments, Industry, Scientists
• When: September 25th-29th
• Where:World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB)

Join us on November 14th - November 16th at the 2023 US Innovators Roundtable in St. Louis, MO & Virtually. Hosted by Change Chemistry, formerly the Green Chemistry and Commerce Council (GC3), in collaboration with MilliporeSigma, the 2023 Innovators Roundtable will be an opportunity for green chemistry community members to engage in conversation with leading innovators, investors, and government officials in the green and sustainable chemistry space. Hear from Beyond Benign co-founder and board member,  John Warner in his joint keynote presentation with Paul Anastas-- which will be a reflection by these fathers of green chemistry on the growth of their efforts 25 years after the seminal work on green chemistry theory and practice.

Structured as a series of dialogues exploring topics, the roundtable will provide attendees with opportunities to meet and engage with key players from across the globe.

Why attend?

• Leverage the trusted industry, government, and NGO relationships that Change Chemistry has built over the past 17 years to accelerate the transition to sustainable chemistry.
• Learn about challenges and best practices across sectors and the value chain in responding to regulatory, market, and investor drivers to design and adopt safer, more sustainable chemicals and materials.
• Network with colleagues and across sectors and stakeholder groups to build understanding and identify collaborative opportunities to grow green and sustainable chemistry.
• Join the growing Change Chemistry collaborative community focused on accelerating the growth of green and sustainable chemistry solutions in the marketplace.

For more information, visit the official event site, linked here.

• Who: Scientists, Industry, NGOs, Governments
• When: November 14th- 16th
• Where: St. Louis, MO
• How: Register here.

This premier conference is convened by the ACS Green Chemistry Institute to advance green chemistry and engineering through scientific exchange, professional development opportunities, and community networking. The conference starts with a day of workshops on Sunday, June 2 and the GC&E Awards Ceremony Dinner on Sunday night. The technical sessions kick off Monday morning. 

The Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference (GC&E) holds around 42 technical sessions covering a wide variety of research areas and industrial applications. This year, the conference explores the forefront of technology with its theme, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Enabled Green Chemistry.

Chemistry education sessions and workshops are a central part of the conference.

Key Dates:

• Call for Abstracts is open through February 12. 
• Early registration opens February 14 and runs through April 30. 

Beyond Benign Talks:

Teaching Green Chemistry: Systems Thinking, Assessments, and Curricular Design

Use of ChemForward for Chemical hazard evaluation and assessment in academic settings (30 mins) during the Teaching Green Chemistry: Systems Thinking, Assessments, and Curricular Design

8:00am - 5:00opm - June 2, 2024 | Room: Maplewood Room (A&B)

Monica Mame Soma Nyansa, Cynthia Woodbridge

Exploring and championing professional education in Green Chemistry and Toxicology

04:25pm - 04:45pm EDT - June 4, 2024 | Room: Ravinia Ballroom (DEFG) (Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia)
Monica Mame Soma Nyansa, Presenter; Natalie O'Neil; Amy Cannon

Reimagining chemistry education: The green chemistry commitment at Beyond Benign

05:05pm - 07:05pm EDT - June 4, 2024 | Room: Ravinia Ballroom (ABC)

Juliana Vidal, Presenter; Natalie O'Neil; Amy Cannon

Utilizing Drupal and CiviCRM to optimize an open-access database of green chemistry educational materials on the new GCTLC platform

10:15am - 10:35am EDT - June 5, 2024 | Room: Camellia (Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia)

Jonathon Moir, Presenter; Sarah Prescott; Nimrat Obhi; Amy Cannon

Uniting and engaging a diverse, global community of green chemistry educators and practitioners through a virtual open-access platform

10:35am - 10:55am EDT - June 5, 2024 | Room: Camellia (Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia)

Nimrat Obhi, Presenter; Jonathon Moir; Sarah Prescott; Amy Cannon

20th ACS GCI Summer School