Chemistry is a field with enormous power to improve - or deteriorate - the quality of life worldwide. Chemists must go beyond asking if a desired function is achieved; they must also ask if adverse effects on humans and the environment are limited or non-existent. These questions inspire creative solutions, circularity in materials, and sustainability in molecular design. They allow chemists to mitigate climate change with preventative and reparative solutions.

There is vast potential in implementing alternative manufacturing methods that limit carbon dioxide emissions and reduce energy use; for example, using fewer reaction steps, less hazardous solvents, biobased feedstocks (rather than petroleum-based), and abundant or recyclable catalysts. Green chemistry also promotes circularity, meaning that products are designed to be recycled and reused rather than ending up as waste. Using life-cycle analysis, chemists can assess and reduce the environmental footprint associated with products they are designing.

Green chemistry can also provide novel solutions, like innovative materials for renewable energy production and chemistries to capture and store carbon dioxide. Green chemists and engineers are essential to mitigating climate change through new collaborations among scientific disciplines, academia, industry, government, and across country borders.