Abstract
Increasing demand for chemicals worldwide, depleting resources, consumer pressure, stricter legislation, and the rising cost of waste disposal are placing increasing pressure on chemical and related industries. For any organization to survive in the current arena of growing climate change laws and regulations, and increasing public influence, the issue of sustainability must be fundamental to the way it operates. A sustainable manufacturing approach will enable economic growth to be combined with environmental and social sustainability and will be realized via collaboration between a multidisciplinary community including chemists, biologists, engineers, environmental scientists, economists, experts in management, and policy makers. Hence, employees with new skills, knowledge, and experience are essential. To realize this approach, the design and development of a series of workshops encompassing systems thinking are presented here. After close consultation with industry, an annual program of interactive workshops has been designed for graduate students to go beyond examining the “greening” of chemical reactions, processes, and products, and instead embed a systems thinking approach to learning. The workshops provide a valuable insight into the issues surrounding sustainable manufacturing covering change management, commercialization, environmental impact, circular economy, legislation, and bioresources incorporating the conversion of waste into valuable products. The multidisciplinary course content incorporates industrial case studies, providing access to real business issues, and is delivered by experts from academic departments across campus and industry.
Highlights
For any organization to survive in the current arena of growing climate change laws and regulations, and increasing public influence, the issue of sustainability must be fundamental to the way it operates
The workshops provide a valuable insight into the issues surrounding sustainable manufacturing covering change management, commercialization, environmental impact, circular economy, legislation, and bioresources incorporating the conversion of waste into valuable products
The RenewChem graduate training program was created to enhance the training provided to green chemistry doctoral students at the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE) at the University of York
Summary
The RenewChem graduate training program was created to enhance the training provided to green chemistry doctoral students at the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE) at the University of York. Special Issue: Reimagining Chemistry Education: Systems Thinking, and Green and Sustainable Chemistry. Utilizing a systems thinking approach creates the opportunity for students to apply the knowledge they have acquired throughout their education in a real world or business context, during the workshops. This broader perspective prepares students more thoroughly for their future career paths and supports the move to a sustainable and circular chemical economy through promotion of a changed mind-set that embeds systems thinking at its core.[3]
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