Contributed by Cassiane Bohn Au, Global Green Chemistry Innovation and Network Program Assistant at Yale University
Climate Week NYC showcased a diverse range of discussions on mitigating climate change, with events covering topics from Artificial Intelligence to corporate sustainability metrics. Among many highlights, the standout for me was a green chemistry event, where the focus shifted to technologies exploring new technologies grounded in green chemistry principles.
On September 27, 2024, The Science of Solutions: Addressing Climate Change Through Green Chemistry panel discussion, part of Yale @ Climate Week NYC, focused on innovative green chemistry and engineering solutions essential for mitigating the impacts of climate change. The speaker lineup featured Paul Anastas, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Yale University; Walt Leitner, Director of Molecular Catalysis at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion; Stafford Sheehan, President and CTO of Air Company; and Marcos Bitew from the African Power Initiative.
During the discussion, Paul Anastas highlighted that green chemistry offers powerful tools to redesign materials and improve manufacturing and transportation throughout the supply chain. He stressed the importance of optimism and creativity in addressing climate change, advocating for a shift in focus from the problem to potential solutions, noting that many innovative approaches aim to redesign and eliminate harmful chemical processes.
Walter Leitner discussed the importance of “de-fossilization” of the products and services we depend on. Leitner explained how combining CO2 and H2 can generate renewable energy and formulations that can be seamlessly integrated into existing systems for efficient implementation across supply chains. Examples of where green chemistry can replace traditional petrochemicals include the flavors, agriculture, plastics, pharmaceuticals, fuels, coatings, detergents, fragrances, solvents, and adhesives sectors. Leitner also emphasized that while challenges exist, large companies have the capacity to transition to greener chemicals effectively.
Stafford Sheehan addressed the need for decarbonizing the aviation sector, introducing AIRMADE™, a technology that could potentially reduce global emissions by 10.8% annually. Sheehan noted that airplanes can be built today with technologies using sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), emphasizing that as older planes are decommissioned, new ones could be equipped with greener alternatives. Sheehan also mentioned that using SAFs can improve air quality for communities near airports, citing Air Company’s collaboration with the Port Authority of New York to implement these changes at major airports like LaGuardia (LGA) and John F. Kennedy (JFK).
Finally, Marcos Bitew shared insights from his work at the African Power Initiative (API), an energy-focused organization based in Ethiopia. API seeks to provide alternative green energy sources to meet the current demand for fuels while promoting sustainable economic development in Africa. Bitew spoke about projects transforming semi-arid areas into greener landscapes in Ethiopia – resulting in greater organic matter and rainfall – and biofuel production from local biomass.
The panelists unanimously agreed that despite the challenges of implementing new technologies, there’s good reason to be optimistic that innovative solutions like these will support the decarbonization of global economies. Through both low and high-tech approaches, green chemistry remains important for a more sustainable, decarbonized future.
Image Credit: Dr. Hanno Erythropel @ Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale
