DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/D0GC03313H

Summary
Innovation in green and sustainable technologies requires highly qualified professionals, who have critical, inter/transdisciplinary and system thinking mindsets. In this context, green chemistry education (GCE) and sustainable chemistry education (SCE) have received increasing attention, especially in recent years. However, gaps remain in further understanding the historical roots of green chemistry (GC) and sustainable chemistry (SC), their differences, similarities, as well the implications of this wider comprehension into curricula. Building on existing initiatives, further efforts are needed at all levels to mainstream GCE and SCE into chemistry and other education curricula and teaching, including gathering and disseminating best practices and forging new and strengthened partnerships at the national, regional and global levels.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
This article even if do not deal directly with Complex System Knowledge evidence a crucial perspectives for education and development of new skills on green chemistry toward sustainable chemistry because although green chemistry is an important building block for Sustainable Chemistry, it is not necessarily sustainable. This process can be envisioned as a part of a complex system in which the education is a tool enabling the transformation of “human resources, institutional and infrastructural settings” in designing a new greener and sustainable development in all sectors and in a large scale.

Point of Strength
This article focuses on the need to create a new generation of well-trained chemical specialists on the concepts of green chemistry inserted in the context of chemical sustainability.
Some interesting suggested actions to reach this target are the
• development of new appropriate local and global programs for green chemistry education and sustainable chemistry education with the definition of fundamental concepts, objectives, pedagogies, and assessments.
• Disseminating best practices in integrating of the current curricula at different level of the educational programs
• Integrate Sustainable Chemistry Education into social science, economics, law, humanities etc.
• Scaling up the education of teachers
• Enhancing cooperation, including to further promote Green and Sustainable Chemistry in all countries
• Creating a broader Chemistry Education including humanities, ethics and economics.
• Valorizing Education as a fundamental green and sustainable chemistry keystone