safe and sustainable by design

Prescription for Change: Safe and Sustainable Chemistry in Global Pharmaceutical Systems

This webinar is the second session on a global series organised by ISC3, IOMC, and UNITAR (April–September 2026), designed to support the implementation of the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC) through Safe and Sustainable Innovation. 

The series responds to a key challenge: How to translate international commitments on chemicals and waste into practical solutions—particularly at the design and innovation stages? 

A framework for chemical hazard assessments under Safe and Sustainable by Design using multiple in silico tools

The hazard identification of chemicals is a key step of the “Safe and Sustainable by Design” (SSbD) framework introduced by the European Commission, aiming to eliminate hazardous substances early in innovation. In this context, in silico methods such as (Quantitative) Structure–Activity Relationship ((Q)SAR) models offer rapid, cost-effective, and animalfree alternatives for early-stage hazard screening. The Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) is developing a toolbox to facilitate SSbD assessments containing numerous (Q)SAR models.

Safe and Sustainable by Design: Accelerating the Industrial Transition

The 6th Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) Stakeholder Event is scheduled to take place from March 18 - 19 in Brussels. This conference will bring together the European SSbD community, including industry leaders, policymakers, researchers, and innovators from across Europe.

 

Organized by the European Commission, this event will focus on the revised SSbD Framework, the communication and collaboration among the EU SSbD projects, and the role of the SSbD approach in accelerating the industrial transition.

Safe-and-sustainable-by-design approach to polyesters from non-oestrogenic bisphenols

Most contemporary chemical processes rely on non-renewable resources and reagents associated with negative impact on environment and human health. As a result, the safe-and-sustainable-by-design (SSbD) framework is launched to guide the innovation towards safe and sustainable materials and chemical products. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely used chemical in the production of plastics but known to activate oestrogen receptors and linked by numerous studies to adverse effects on both human health and the environment.

P-A-R-C Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) Toolbox

PARC
Tool Owner
European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC)

The P-A-R-C SSbD Toolbox is a structured collection of tools to support designers, developers, risk assessors of chemicals and materials from industry, academia and governments in addressing questions about functionality, chemical safety and environmental sustainability. In addition the toolbox will in time cover socio-economic aspects to support the exploratory work on a potential 5th step of the framework.

The goals of the toolbox are to provide:

→ A structured inventory and overview of tools suited for SSbD assessment and (re-)design;

Synthesis of bioactive molecules from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural vía Passerini multicomponent reaction (ACS Green and Sustainable Chemistry Summer School, GSCSS - 2024)

The pharmaceutical industry is currently experiencing increasing demand for small-molecule drugs. However, a significant portion of the raw materials used in drug production are fossil-based, originating from crude oil. This reliance on non-renewable resources presents major challenges, particularly in the context of global environmental crises such as climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and dwindling oil reserves.

Confronting the interconnection of chemical pollution and climate change

Climate change and chemical pollution are interdependent planetary threats, but climate change mitigation efforts typically do not consider chemicals and materials. This may exacerbate chemical pollution and associated harm to human and environmental health. Because most chemicals and materials are currently derived from petrochemicals, the extraction of fossil fuels cannot be limited without transitioning chemical manufacturing to different carbon sources. However, simply changing the carbon source is insufficient and could exacerbate the biodiversity crisis.

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