UG first University in the Netherlands to join Green Chemistry Commitment

The Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) is a programme created by Beyond Benign (United States) to unite, celebrate, and empower the global green chemistry community. The goal of the GCC is to infuse green chemistry principles into higher education and give scientists the required skills to design processes and products less hazardous to human health and the environment. Several companies (e.g. Merck/Sigma-Aldrich) and universities worldwide have signed the GCC to implement Green Chemistry principles.

Frontrunner position

Our University, and in particular the Stratingh Institute at the Faculty of Science & Engineering, is the first in the Netherlands to join the initiative. This gives a strong signal in terms of sustainability commitment, looking at the present curriculum, track specializations, and recent developments in the teaching labs within our chemistry programmes.

Certificate

At the eighth Green and Sustainable Chemistry Conference in Dresden, one of our representing PhD candidates in Chemistry, Thomas Freese, received the certificate on behalf of the University of Groningen. Beyond Benign is excited to welcome the UG to the Green Chemistry community!

The Green Chemistry Commitment has been signed by Prof. Dr. Rob Timmermans (Vice Dean of the Faculty of Science & Engineering) and Prof. Wesley Browne (Professor and Chair of Molecular Inorganic Chemistry), and will be implemented in various tracks of Bachelor and Master programmes and PhD research projects at the Faculty of Science & Engineering.