Environment Week 2024: Prof Klaus Kümmerer discusses Sustainable Chemistry

Director of the Research & Education Hub at ISC3 accepts the Federal President's invitation to Bellevue Palace in Berlin

At the invitation of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU), Prof. Klaus Kümmerer will represent the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaboration Center (ISC3) at the “Week of the Environment” (German: Woche der Umwelt) event on 4 and 5 June 2024 in Berlin. As part of the innovation show with 190 exhibitors, more than 70 specialist forums and exciting discussions with high-ranking experts, the Director of the ISC3 Research & Education Hub will be one of three dialogue partners on the topic of 'Sustainable chemistry for a sustainable future' at the end of the second day.

“Sustainable Chemistry must scale by default, not in commercial scaling, but in material, biological and ecological scaling. Before a chemical is used in industry, we must know how it will behave worldwide under all conceivable climatic conditions. How many resources are required if only one part is produced but a million parts? What does this mean in ten, 50 or 100 years when the material ends up in the environment? What by-products are produced, and what effects do they have if disposed of improperly? In addition, Sustainable Chemistry also asks about social and ethical aspects,” says Prof Kümmerer with a view to the discussion. At the same time he will also take a look at the practice of science and present best practice examples that show the contribution that Sustainable Chemistry makes in various areas of everyday life. 

The “Week of the Environment” (German: Woche der Umwelt) was launched in 2002 by the then Federal President Johannes Rau and has since been organised with the Osnabrück-based German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, DBU). The seventh edition will take place on 4 and 5 June 2024 under the motto “Together for climate neutrality” in the park of Bellevue Palace, Berlin. It is dedicated to highly topical aspects of climate, environmental and species protection and intends to inspire all participants for a sustainable future. The agenda includes highly topical issues such as climate neutrality and energy security, hydrogen technology, biodiversity and resource conservation, sustainable change and social cohesion. Personalities from politics, business, science, and society are invited to discuss concrete solutions to pressing environmental problems and contribute their ideas and approaches to a sustainable future.

Christian Ruth-Strauß
Director Communications ISC3
christian.ruth-strauss@isc3.org

René Sutthoff
Konsequent PR
sutthoff@konsequent-pr.de

About ISC3
The International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre promotes Sustainable Chemistry for a sustainable world. ISC3 supports the chemical industry and chemical-related sectors in their transformation process through sustainable, innovative approaches from Sustainable Chemistry. The goal is a circular economy that implements the multiple aspects of sustainability over the entire life cycle of products and a rethinking of the behaviour of all stakeholders. To advance the dialogue between different sectors and actors worldwide, including Europe and other regions as well as emerging and developing countries, ISC3 follows a multi-stakeholder approach with the networking of policymakers, public and private sectors, education, science and society. It contributes to international chemicals policy, develops professional and academic training programs, advises companies, and promotes start-ups and research. Founded in 2017 by the Federal Environment Agency and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, the centre is supported by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and by the Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (DECHEMA e.V.) as ISC3 Innovation Hub and Leuphana University Lüneburg as ISC3 Research & Education Hub. www.isc3.org