2nd Symposium on Green Chemistry, Chile: Education, Innovation, and Biomimicry for a Sustainable Future
2025-11-03 - 2025-11-06
“A meeting point to promote sustainable, environmentally respectful approaches in science and technology.”
The event aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue among academia, industry, and the public sector, with a focus on Education, Innovation, and Biomimicry as key drivers for sustainable transformation.
Thematic Pillars:
Green Education- Training sustainability-minded scientists with novel teaching methods and tools.
Sustainable Innovation- Green chemistry real-world applications in industry and product development.
Biomimicry & Nature-Based Businesses- Efficient, safe, and beautiful solutions inspired by nature positively impacting business.

XII Annual Meeting of Postgraduate Students
2025-11-06 - 2025-11-07
The Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), a Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) signer, will host its XII Annual Meeting of Postgraduate Students from November 6th to 7th in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Beyond Benign Senior Program Manager Dr. Juliana Vidal will deliver the opening keynote, “Program in Green Chemistry: Catalyzing a Global Change for a Sustainable Future,” on November 6th from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
As a member of the global GCC community, the Institute of Chemistry at UFF believes teaching students about green chemistry principles is a cornerstone of their formation as future chemists and citizens for a more sustainable world. The department is committed to advancing green chemistry through research, teaching, and promoting societal engagement.

STANYS 130th Annual Conference
2025-11-07 - 2025-11-10
Join us for Sensemaking – The Power of Making Connections, at the 130th Annual STANYS conference in Syracuse designed to empower educators in navigating the exciting landscape of the New York State Science Learning Standards. This conference isn’t just about the what of the NYSSLS, but the how – how to connect the standards to engaging classroom practice, innovative pedagogy, and meaningful student learning. This conference isn’t just about isolated scientific disciplines; it’s about weaving them together all through the lens of the NYSSLS and its emphasis on crosscutting concepts. This year’s theme emphasizes the crucial role of interdisciplinary connections in scientific discovery and problem-solving, mirroring the interconnected nature of the world around us. CTLE credit is available for attendees if they complete the session attendance forms.

2025 STANYS ​Annual Conference
2025-11-07 - 2025-11-10
Are you a teacher based in New York? Attend the 130th STANYS ​Annual Conference from November 7th to 10th in Syracuse! This year’s theme, “Sensemaking – The Power of Making Connections,” emphasizes the crucial role of interdisciplinary connections in scientific discovery and problem-solving, mirroring the interconnected nature of the world around us.
👋 If you attend, be sure to connect with Beyond Benign Certified Lead Teachers Stefanie Loomis and Scott Carlson and Community Engagement Manager Michelle Ernst Modera! These green chemistry leaders will be tabling and sharing K-8 activities you won’t want to miss.

New York Green Chemistry Professional Learning Team
2025-11-18 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-12-16 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Calling New York-based teachers in grades 6-12! The New York Green Chemistry Professional Learning Team is a dedicated space where you can connect with your peers and develop your understanding and practice of green chemistry and sustainable science in your labs through the introduction of the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry and their connection to SDS sheets.
You will learn the benefits of greening a lab, implement an existing green lab, and then green and implement your own labs for peer review, benefiting from the collective experience and knowledge of your peers. The resulting collection of peer-reviewed green labs will be published as a collection for all. See registration for CTLE credit details.
💬 Led by Beyond Benign Certified Lead Teacher Scott Carlson
🗓️ Third Tuesday of each month from November 2025 through June 2026
⏰ 7-8:30 p.m. ET
📍Online – Zoom link upon registration

2025-2026 Green Chemistry Connections
2025-11-19 12:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-17 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-21 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-18 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-03-18 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-04-15 12:00 - 14:00
From biomimicry to toxicology, green chemistry offers powerful solutions to some of the world’s most pressing crises. During the 2025-2026 Green Chemistry Connections webinar series, we will zero in on the powerfully adaptable principles of green chemistry and their role in forming connections between educators, industry, and advocates.
How? This season’s speakers are a host of changemakers from diverse professions—each working to apply green chemistry in unique and inventive ways. K-12 educators, higher education faculty, students, industry professionals, advocates, and all are welcome to join these interactive monthly conversations.
Sessions are held on the third Wednesday of each month from 12 to 2 p.m. ET. By signing up below, you will be registered for all events and have access to recordings!
Please share this webinar series with friends and colleagues of all disciplines and backgrounds. We know the true power of our green chemistry community is how we connect with the world—so come connect with us!

CAS Insights Webinar: Key Trends in Green Chemistry
2025-11-20 10:00 - 11:00
From agriculture to pharmaceuticals to consumer electronics, chemistry makes modern life possible. However, resources are finite, and climate change is exacerbating environmental issues. Join the “CAS Insights Webinar: Key Trends in Green Chemistry” on November 20th at 10 a.m. EST for insights from a panel of experts, including Beyond Benign Co-Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Amy Cannon. Amy will join Dan Bailey of Takeda and Leighton Jones of CAS to discuss some of the most important trends that are helping support our economies with innovative chemistry that’s also greener.
👉 Register here.

Sustainable Preparation of World Health Organization (WHO) Essential Medicines by Mechanochemistry
2025-12-09 11:00 - 12:00
Although significant efforts have been made to reduce the environmental impact of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production, the use of organic solvents—responsible for about 75% of the total energy consumption—remains a critical step in many processes. Solvent-free synthesis through mechanochemistry aligns with several of the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry, offering a more environmentally responsible alternative for chemical synthesis.
Join us for a free webinar on December 9th from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST to hear from Dr. Evelina Colacino, Associate Professor at the University of Montpellier, who will discuss the application of mechanochemical methods to the preparation of World Health Organization essential medicines at various scales. Using green chemistry metrics, we evaluate the environmental and economic benefits of mechanochemistry, demonstrating its potential to advance greener and more sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing.
🌎 This webinar is part of the “Promoting Chemistry Applied to World Needs” series, hosted by Beyond Benign and the IUPAC Committee on Chemical Research Applied to World Needs (CHEMRAWN). If you haven’t yet registered for this series, sign up here.

Pacifichem 2025
2025-12-15 - 2025-12-20
The 2025 International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies will be held from December 15th to 20th in Honolulu, Hawaii. This year’s event will center around the theme, “Building Communities to Address Global Challenges.” If you are attending, be sure to catch these presentations from members of the Beyond Benign team and community! 👋⤵️

A New Tool for Creating Custom Case Studies That Illustrate Green Chemistry, Sustainability, and Systems Thinking
Presented by Dr. Jennifer Tripp, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of San Francisco.
Case studies are a useful classroom tool for teaching students about a chemistry topic while further encouraging them to explore the mutual connections, for good and bad, between chemistry and broader human, environmental, and economic systems. Beyond Benign and the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute recently developed a versatile template that will guide instructors as they build their own effective case studies for classroom use. This presentation will introduce the Case Study Template tool and provide examples of how it can be used to create classroom learning materials that effectively illustrate a systems thinking approach to chemistry.
🗓️ December 18th at 10:55 a.m. HST

The Journey Towards an Inclusive Global Green Chemistry Education Community of Practice by Prioritizing Diversity, Equity, Belonging, and Respect for an Open-Access Online Platform
Presented by Dr. Amy Cannon, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Beyond Benign
A worldview that prioritizes diversity, equity, belonging, and respect (DEBR) is central to creating a green chemistry education community of practice: a community of shared values where, if members feel a strong sense of belonging, they will be empowered and enabled to collectively transform chemistry education worldwide. This presentation will describe the framework used for integrating DEBR principles and practices throughout the design, development, and launch of the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC) platform, an open-access community platform that supports the green chemistry education community of practice.
🗓️ December 18th at 1:40 p.m. HST

Empowering the Green Chemistry Community Towards a Systemic Change: The Green Chemistry Commitment at Beyond Benign
Presented by Dr. Juliana Vidal, Senior Program Manager at Beyond Benign
The Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC), one of Beyond Benign’s key initiatives, promotes the integration of green chemistry into science courses at universities, colleges, and institutes around the globe. Since 2013, 250 institutions from 35 countries (and counting!) have signed the GCC and committed to integrating green chemistry into their curricula, building upon unique and diverse campus environments, strengths, cultures, and resources. In this poster presentation, Juliana will discuss the GCC program and its impact on fostering a community that creates systemic change in our society, as well as the benefits of integrating green chemistry principles and practices in chemistry education.
🗓️ December 19th at 10 a.m. HST

Green Chemistry Communities: Principles, Practices, and Action Towards a Sustainable Future
Organized by Beyond Benign team members Dr. Juliana Vidal, Dr. Amy Cannon, and Dr. John Warner, alongside Green Chemistry Commitment signers Dr. John De Backere (University of Toronto), Dr. Kei Saito (Kyoto University), and Dr. Supawan Tantayanon (Chulalongkorn University).
Green chemistry has a fundamental role in achieving a sustainable future. Chemists with green chemistry skills can design processes and products that will not impact human health or the environment. To achieve this goal, however, we need everyone on board. This session will highlight holistic, interdisciplinary, and comprehensive approaches to achieving a sustainable future through green chemistry. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in conversations with the speakers about local and global actions that can be taken to build communities of transformation.
🗓️ December 19th at 1 p.m. HST & December 20th at 8 a.m. HST

Towards Systemic Change in Chemistry Education: Empowering a Global Green Chemistry Education Community
Presented by Dr. Amy Cannon, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Beyond Benign
Beyond Benign envisions a future where the molecular building blocks of products used every day are healthy and safe for humans and the environment. Green chemistry concepts, along with additional sustainability and systems thinking approaches, are essential in preparing global scientists and citizens with the skills to address sustainability challenges. This presentation will share Beyond Benign’s approach for building and empowering a green chemistry community to transform chemistry education, including building key programs and partnerships towards realizing systemic change in chemistry education.
🗓️ December 19th at 1:05 p.m. HST

People Working with People — Green Chemistry Innovations
Presented by Dr. John Warner, Co-Founder of Beyond Benign; CTO and CEO of The Technology Greenhouse
The global green chemistry community is large and growing. Many traditional national chemistry societies struggle to remain up to date and relevant. The green chemistry community is thriving by forming more future-focused informal assemblies of people that enable them to adapt to an evolving and changing world. This presentation will discuss several of these unique collaborations that have enabled innovations in industry and academia.
🗓️ Time to be announced

GCTLC Info Session - How to Search the Library of Curriculum Resources
2026-01-14 18:00 - 19:00
Are you interested in incorporating green chemistry and sustainability into your classroom or lab? Do you want to excite your students about science but need some inspiration? With over 400 resources available, including open-access materials and linked journal articles, there’s something for everyone on the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC).
Join Dr. Sarah Kennedy, Chief Editor of the GCTLC, on January 14th from 6-7 p.m. EST for a free info session to learn how to easily search and find relevant content on the GCTLC platform. This interactive session will cover how to search using common filters and topics, such as grade level, NGSS standards, activity type, keywords, and more.
This session is free to join and open to all community members. Join us to deepen your engagement in this community and discover exciting new resources you can use in your classroom or lab!
🔗 Zoom details:

No registration needed—just use this Zoom link to join us on January 14th from 6 to 7 p.m. EST.
Meeting ID: 875 1688 0432
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Greener Curriculum Showcase Series: Bringing Real-World Industrial Skills to the Classroom
2026-01-15 12:30 - 14:00
Join us for a FREE virtual workshop designed to help educators teach Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and Techno-Economic Assessments (TEA)—two essential tools in the chemical industry. Participants will learn how to confidently implement the module, “Exploring Techno-Economic Assessments and Life Cycle Assessments: Environmental versus Economic Evaluations of Soy-based Processes and Products,” which is part of the new Soy Chemistry Curriculum. This module introduces students to these essential evaluation methods using open-access tools and laboratory-generated data.
Facilitator Dr. Julian Silverman, Assistant Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology and a co-author of the Soy Chemistry Curriculum, will guide participants through the resources, offer practical strategies for adaptation and implementation, and create opportunities for educators to share insights. The workshop will include group-based learning, discussions, networking opportunities, and a Q&A session.
🌱 Don’t miss this chance to enhance your teaching toolkit, connect with peers, and inspire the next generation of green chemists! Space is limited—RSVP here.

Ask Me Anything: Dr. Elizabeth Braun
2026-01-27 - 2026-01-30
Mark your calendar for the upcoming Ask Me Anything (AMA) interview with Dr. Elizabeth Braun, Director of Educational Content and Learning at the Lab Safety Institute. From January 27th to 30th, Elizabeth will answer questions from the community and share her expertise in the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC) forums!
At the Lab Safety Institute, Elizabeth collaborates with educators, administrators, and district leaders to strengthen safety culture and promote green chemistry across STEM classrooms. She focuses on systems-level improvement—supporting schools as they rethink chemical management, instructional practices, and professional learning to align safety and sustainability. Her work bridges policy, pedagogy, and practice to make safer science accessible to every learning environment.

💬 This is a conversation you won’t want to miss! Get your questions ready and meet us in the forums.
PS: If you missed previous AMA interviews or want to revisit the insights shared, you can explore them here.

Applications of Green Chemistry for a Healthier and More Sustainable Future
2026-01-31 11:30 - 14:00 | Fisk University, 1000 17th Ave, Nashville, TN, 37208, United States
This public, in-person workshop explores applications of green chemistry to support a healthier and more sustainable future. Led by Dr. Omar Villanueva of Beyond Benign, the session will highlight how green chemistry principles can be applied to design safer chemicals and materials using more environmentally responsible processes. The workshop will cover key aspects of the chemical life cycle—from design to disposal—and is intended for undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, community environmental and health leaders, and other community members. Lunch will be provided, and time will be reserved for discussion and Q&A.

New York Green Chemistry Professional Learning Team
2026-02-19 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-03-19 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-04-16 19:00 - 20:30
Calling New York-based teachers in grades 6-12! Join us for our New York Green Chemistry Professional Learning Team, where your professional growth aligns with New York State learning standards for pedagogy and student performance. This collaborative initiative is designed to enhance your instructional skills through demonstrations, peer reviews, and a strong emphasis on lab safety. By exploring green chemistry principles and integrating them into your current labs, you will not only expand your knowledge but also help create a safer and more sustainable learning environment for your students.
Our monthly virtual meetings foster a supportive community of practice where educators can share their experiences and learn from one another. You will have the opportunity to analyze student work and refine your teaching strategies while building a collective repository of greener laboratory practices. Together, we will improve pedagogical skills and confidence, promote educational leadership, and enhance student achievement through real-world problem-solving experiences. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to collaborate and grow alongside fellow science educators!
💬 Led by Beyond Benign Certified Lead Teacher Scott Carlson
🗓️ Third Thursday of each month from February to June 2026
⏰ 7-8:30 p.m. ET
📍Online – Zoom link upon registration

Greener Curriculum Showcase Series: Green Chemistry and Sustainability Case Studies in the Classroom
2026-02-25 15:00 - 16:30
Integrating case studies into the curriculum effectively provides context for chemical concepts and showcases real-world applications of green chemistry. If you are an educator in a higher ed setting, join a FREE virtual workshop on February 25th to learn how to develop case studies using a new template and instructional guide co-developed by Beyond Benign and the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute.
Participants will gain hands-on experience with the case study framework and learn strategies for developing case studies that highlight how chemistry drives sustainable innovation. Facilitators Dr. Jennifer Tripp (University of San Francisco) and Dr. Tom Umile (Villanova University) will guide participants through these resources, offer practical strategies for adaptation and implementation, and create opportunities for educators to share insights.
🧪Don’t miss this chance to expand your teaching toolkit and inspire future green chemists. Reserve your spot today!

#RSCPoster 2026
2026-03-03 07:00 - 2026-03-04 07:00
The #RSCPoster conference is a free, 24-hour global online event hosted on LinkedIn. It brings together chemists from different disciplines and career stages to share research, connect with peers worldwide, and engage in scientific discussions. You can share posters on other platforms to expand the conversation, but be sure to post on LinkedIn so you are eligible for prizes!
Beyond Benign Senior Program Manager, Dr. Juliana Vidal is the subject chair of a brand new dedicated sustainability category (#RSCSustainability) for posters focused on sustainable science. (👏!) If your research centers on sustainability topics, we encourage you to submit your poster to showcase innovations advancing greener technologies, responsible resource use, and a more sustainable future. Learn more and register here.

2026 Eastern STANYS Spring Conference
2026-03-06 16:00 - 21:00 | Siena University in Siena, New York
Join science educators from across New York’s Capital Region for the 42nd Annual Eastern STANYS Spring Conference. This regional gathering returns to Siena University and brings together K-12 teachers, local experts, and science organizations to share effective classroom strategies and enhance science instruction across various disciplines.
All sessions are aligned with the New York State Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS). Attendees can participate in two 45-minute sessions, along with the keynote address, to earn 5 CTLE credits.
👋 If you attend, be sure to connect with Beyond Benign Certified Lead Teachers Stefanie Loomis and Annette Sebuyira.
🗓️ March 6, 2026
⏰ 4–9 p.m. ET
📍 Siena University
🔗 Learn more and register

American Chemical Society Spring National Meeting
2026-03-22 - 2026-03-26
Members of the Beyond Benign team and community will be at ACS Spring 2026 from March 22nd to 26th! This year’s hybrid event, taking place in Atlanta, Georgia, and online, will center on the theme “Collaborate. Innovate. Transform.” 👋 We look forward to connecting with you! Learn more and register here. If you are attending, stop by our kiosk (#1433) to connect, and be sure to attend our green chemistry sessions:

Bringing Green Chemistry to Life in K–12 Classrooms: Resources, Community, and Professional Development
Presented by Dr. Omar Villanueva, Beyond Benign Chief Program Officer, and Dr. Amy Cannon, Beyond Benign Co-Founder and Executive Director.
This session invites K-12 educators to explore practical strategies for integrating green chemistry into their classrooms. Participants will be introduced to Beyond Benign teaching resources, including the Soy Chemistry curriculum, classroom case studies, open-access hands-on activities, professional development opportunities, and the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community platform.
🗓️ March 22nd | 10:15-11 a.m.
📍 Room B403 — Georgia World Congress Center

Twelve Months of Green Chemistry at Georgia Gwinnett College
Presented by leaders from Georgia Gwinnett College, Veronica Sublet Breeden, Dr. Cynthia Woodbridge, Dr. Kathryn Zimmermann, Dr. Joseph Sloop, alongside Dr. Omar Villanueva, Beyond Benign Chief Program Officer and former Chemistry Department Chair at Georgia Gwinnett College.
This poster presentation highlights a year-long initiative engaging students and faculty with the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry. Supported by a Beyond Benign Green Chemistry Education Award, the program features monthly outreach events and faculty workshops to support curriculum integration and campus-wide engagement.
🗓️ March 22nd | 12-2 p.m.
📍 Poster Session — Exhibit Hall B/C

The Future of Chemistry: Designing Out Pollution
Featuring Dr. Juliana Vidal, Beyond Benign Senior Program Manager, and Ann Lee-Jeffs, Beyond Benign Board Member.
This panel, presented by the C&EN Future of Chemistry Series, explores chemistry’s role in mitigating pollution and waste across product life cycles. The discussion examines emerging technologies and design strategies that reduce hazardous inputs and advance sustainable materials innovation.
🗓️ March 23rd | 1:30-3:20 p.m.
📍 Georgia World Congress Center

Inspiring Students with Sustainable Plastics
Presented by Cassie Lydon, K-12 Educator and Beyond Benign Certified Lead Teacher.
This educator session showcases classroom approaches for teaching sustainable plastics through green chemistry principles. Participants will explore curriculum activities, materials design concepts, and strategies to engage students in real-world sustainability challenges.
🗓️ March 22nd | 2:50-3:10 p.m.
📍 ChemPod 10 — Exhibit Hall B5

Celebrating Innovations in Green and Sustainable Chemistry Education: Quality Education — Green Chemistry for a Sustainable Future
Featuring Dr. Amy Cannon, Beyond Benign Co-Founder and Executive Director.
As ACS marks 150 years of advancing science, this symposium, organized by the ACS Green Chemistry Institute, highlights the expanding role of green chemistry in shaping a sustainable future. Grounded in the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry and aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goal #4, the session explores progress in curricular integration and priorities for chemistry education.
🗓️ March 22nd | 2-6 p.m.
📍 Room B401 — Georgia World Congress Center

Partnerships as a Pathway for Green Chemistry Adoption
Presented by Dr. Melissa Hill (Vernier), in collaboration with Beyond Benign and the Lab Safety Institute.
This presentation spotlights how Vernier, Beyond Benign, and the Lab Safety Institute collaborate to create green chemistry experiments, professional development opportunities, and lab safety resources. Participants will be introduced to various tools, educator communities, and training opportunities that arise from these partnerships and will learn how to access and engage with them. By directly connecting educators with practical resources, the session illustrates how these collaborations can enhance the impact of green chemistry and support instructors in implementing sustainable laboratory practices.
🗓️ March 22nd | 4:40–5:00 p.m.
📍 ChemPod 10 — Exhibit Hall B5 — Georgia World Congress Center

Partnerships as a Pathway for Green Chemistry Adoption
Presented by Dr. Melissa Hill (Vernier), in collaboration with Beyond Benign and the Lab Safety Institute.
This Sci-Mix poster presentation emphasizes the collaborative efforts among Vernier, Beyond Benign, and the Lab Safety Institute to promote the adoption of green chemistry in teaching laboratories. Attendees will discover how partnerships across different sectors are enhancing access to sustainable laboratory experiments, professional development programs, and safety-focused implementation strategies that make green chemistry more accessible and scalable.
🗓️ March 23rd | 8:00–10:00 p.m.
📍 Sci-Mix Poster Session — Exhibit Hall B3/B4 — Georgia World Congress Center

Global Approach for a Systemic Change in Chemistry Education: Beyond Benign and the Green Chemistry Commitment Program
Presented by Beyond Benign team members Dr. Juliana Vidal (Senior Program Manager), Dr. Omar Villanueva (Chief Program Officer), and Dr. Amy Cannon (Co-Founder and Executive Director).
This presentation highlights the Green Chemistry Commitment, Beyond Benign’s global program designed to catalyze systemic change in chemistry education. By embedding green chemistry across the education continuum, institutions prepare scientists to design safer products and processes that protect human health and the environment.
🗓️ March 24th | 2:05-2:30 p.m.
📍 ChemPod 9 — Exhibit Hall B5

Green Chemistry Professional Mentoring Networks (GCPMNs): A New NSF-Funded Mechanism for Building Professional Development and Communities of Practice in Chemistry Education
Presented by Beyond Benign team members Dr. Jonathon Moir (Director of the GCTLC), Dr. Omar Villanueva (Chief Program Officer), Dr. Monica Soma Hensley (Instruction & Research Manager), Dr. Amy Cannon (Co-Founder & Executive Director) and community member Dr. Nikita Burrows (Associate Professor at Monmouth University).
This presentation introduces the Green Chemistry Professional Mentoring Networks, a multi-year initiative funded by the National Science Foundation to expand national capacity in green chemistry education through mentoring networks, curricular integration, and community-building research.
🗓️ March 24th | 3:35–3:55 p.m.
📍 Room B314 — Georgia World Congress Center

37th Annual Bioneers Conference
2026-03-26 - 2026-03-28
Now in its 37th year, the Bioneers Conference convenes activists, scientists, educators, artists, Indigenous leaders, and community organizers to share solutions and foster connections across social and environmental movements. Bioneers 2026 will offer main-stage talks, performances, in-depth discussions, hands-on workshops, an Indigenous Forum, youth programs, and collaborative opportunities over three days in Berkeley, California.
Each conference day includes a morning plenary at Zellerbach Hall beginning at 9 a.m., followed by afternoon and evening panels, interactive sessions, films, performances, and networking events at various downtown Berkeley venues.
If you are attending, don’t miss presentations from Beyond Benign Co-Founders Dr. John Warner and Dr. Amy Cannon on Saturday, March 28th:

Keynote: Dr. John Warner – “Biomimicry at the Molecular Level—Inventing a Sustainable Future” (March 28th, 9:40–10:02 a.m., Zellerbach Hall) | In this talk, John will share his vision of how we can draw from the molecular design genius of nature, which has been running countless rigorous chemistry experiments for nearly 4 billion years, to create benign products and technologies that provide for human needs without contaminating the biosphere and endangering our health.
Panel: Green Chemistry Innovation and Education featuring Dr. John Warner and Dr. Amy Cannon (March 28th, 4:45–6 p.m.) | Our educational systems need to be transformed to prepare chemists and scientists to design more sustainable products. In this panel, John and Amy will share their work on key initiatives, such as the Green Chemistry Commitment, which equips universities to integrate green chemistry across curricula, research, and training. These initiatives and more are enabling a new generation of scientists to create breakthrough technologies that will enable a more sustainable, circular, and regenerative economy and society.

🐢 Learn more and register!

Catalyzing a Sustainable Future: Radical Redesign of Chemistry for Circularity
2026-04-09 10:00 - 11:00
Our popular Promoting Chemistry Applied to World Needs webinar series, hosted in collaboration with IUPAC CHEMRAWN, is back for its second year! Each webinar features experts who connect chemistry to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and IUPAC’s Top 10 Emerging Technologies.

Join us on April 9th at 10 a.m. EDT for the first session of 2026! In this session, Professor Chris Slootweg of the University of Amsterdam will introduce circular chemistry as a framework for redesigning chemical production around reuse, recovery, and the conservation of critical raw materials. Through examples such as phosphate recycling, safer and more sustainable phosphate flame retardants, and liquid organic hydrogen carriers for large-scale hydrogen transport, Chris will demonstrate how chemistry can serve as a practical tool for addressing waste, resource depletion, and the demands of the energy transition.
Register for the series and meet us online on April 9th. You’ll receive the Zoom link and access to the full series upon registration.

#CLEAR26 Online Symposium (#CLEAR2026 Symposium)
2026-05-07
The annual CLEAR Symposium connects chemistry educators worldwide in a virtual symposium, enhancing laboratory teaching through research. Attend #CLEAR26, an online symposium on laboratory teaching in chemistry, to gain valuable insights from experts in the field! Dr. Monica Soma Hensley, Beyond Benign Higher Education Instruction and Research Manager, is a co-organizer for this year’s symposium, which centers on the theme of Sustainability and Green Chemistry.
Researchers and practitioners are encouraged to share their work on teaching and learning in the chemistry laboratory. All interested individuals are invited to submit a poster for the event that focuses on research, assessment, or evaluation related to laboratory practices.

🗓️ Date: May 7th, 2026
📍 Location: Online
🔗 To learn more, register, or submit a poster:
https://clearsymposium.weebly.com/registersubmissions.html

The 11th Annual GCM x GCI Symposium: Lab to Landfill
2026-05-19 - 2026-05-20 | McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0G4, Canada
Hear from Dr. Juliana Vidal, Beyond Benign Senior Program Manager, at this event hosted by two Green Chemistry Commitment signers! The annual Green Chemistry Initiative (GCI) Symposium, co-organized by Green Chemistry McGill and the Green Chemistry Initiative at the University of Toronto, connects students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty interested in green chemistry with current leaders to discuss advances in chemical processes and the future of sustainable research.
This year’s symposium, Minimizing Waste from Lab to Landfill, emphasizes that even small daily decisions we make in the lab can reduce the chemical waste our institutions produce. Speakers from both academia and industry will discuss reaction optimization with lower solvent volumes, lower reaction temperatures, lower overall energy use, and safer reagents, highlighting that efficient chemistry is green chemistry.
