Chemistry finds green pastures in Spain

Abstract

With the recent establishment of the Green Chemistry Division (GEQV) of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ), green chemistry continues to advance by leaps and bounds as a strategic discipline within the scientific and technological development of the European Union. The executive board of the GEQV is proud to announce this significant milestone, which amplifies the ongoing effort to establish the 21^st century as the era of sustainability and circularity.

Vision for a green chemistry division in Spain

Since its origin, chemistry has been the driving scientific force behind the advancement of humanity. The molecules and materials developed by chemists—and subsequently applied in industrial production—have elevated our standards of living to levels unimaginable a century ago. For instance, chemistry and its technological developments have continuously improved both the quality and expectancy of human life, while creating comfort and safety. Examples of the impact of chemistry include access to clean drinking water, life-saving medicines, and safer, more nutritious food with the development of fertilizers and insecticides for enhanced agricultural yields, fuels, personal care products, and advanced materials. Modern life is fundamentally shaped and sustained by chemistry. Today, our quality of life and future prospects crucially depend on the continuous evolvement of this vital science.¹

However, to maintain our high standard of life, a thorough re-examination and transformation of many chemical production processes must be carried out so as to align them with the modern and necessary sustainability principles which ensure minimal environmental impact. Moreover, a more rational approach is advocated towards the use of renewable resources and moderating consumption habits, with the final aim to create a society that embraces sustainable well-being and circularity. This important goal can only be achieved through the adoption of chemical products and processes designed to be sustainable. In this respect, the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry, defined and introduced by Paul T. Anastas and John C. Warner in 1998 have been established as clear guiding tools to achieve chemistry that is inherently clean, safe, sustainable, and poses minimal risk to human health and ecosystems.² Green chemistry aims to consider all inherent properties of molecules from the earliest design stages through to the end of their life cycle, with the objective of minimizing, or preferably eliminating, the use and generation of toxic and hazardous substances in the chemical industry. Consequently, the implementation of green chemistry should foster practices that are safer for both the environment and human health.

Spanish chemists have left a lasting mark on the history of chemistry through the discovery of three elements of the periodic table. Platinum (Pt) was discovered by Antonio de Ulloa in 1735, wolfram (W) by Fausto and Jose Elhuyar in 1783, and vanadium (V) by Antonio J. del Río in 1801. Chemistry in Spain was formally established as a scientific discipline in 1903 with the founding of the Spanish Royal Society of Physics and Chemistry, which was firstly presided by Jose Echegaray (Nobel Prize laureate in Literature in 1904). In 1980, the chemical sciences were formally separated with the creation of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ). Today, the RSEQ is devoted to the promotion, advancement, and dissemination of the chemical sciences, both in their pure form and in their practical applications. The RSEQ is organised into several independent divisions that are devoted to different subdisciplines of chemistry such as organic and inorganic chemistry, electro-chemistry, biochemistry and polymer science. Through this organizational structure, the RSEQ provides an open framework to all its members allowing for interactions that permit exciting and fruitful synergies by supporting and organizing national and international conferences, symposia and workshops to advance research and developments of both a basic and applied nature.

However, the creation of a new division with an explicit focus on Green Chemistry (Grupo Especializado de Química Verde – GEQV) within the RSEQ was felt necessary given the contemporary attention for sustainability and a strong need among an ever-growing group of scientists in Spain focusing on green and sustainable chemistry and processes to be represented. The inauguration of the GEQV (see Fig. 1 for the logo of the division) thus has united a vibrant community that is strongly committed to a sustainable future.

Fig. 1 The logo of the Green Chemistry Division (GEQV) of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ).

From the green primordial soup to the birth of Spain's green chemistry division

Since the turn of the millennium, Spain has witnessed a vibrant surge of activity in the field of green chemistry, driven by pioneering research groups and a genuine commitment to engage both academic and industrial sectors, as well as the broader social and educational spheres. From the very beginning, individual efforts to integrate sustainable practices into research lines were complemented by a growing spirit of collaboration. Within this context, the Spanish Network of Sustainable Chemistry (Red Española de Química Sostenible, REDQS) was formally established in 2003 by academics and researchers from various institutions, including professionals from the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. One of the network's primary objectives was to support the development of sustainable chemistry and to promote its dissemination across universities, research centres (both public and private), industries, scientific societies and more broadly to society.

The various actors within this network promoted green chemistry through both individual and collective efforts. While it is difficult to provide an exhaustive account of all these initiatives, it is possible to highlight those that have played a key role in paving the way for the eventual establishment of the GEQV within the RSEQ. In this context, a key initiative in the promotion of green chemistry in Spain was led by the Instituto Universitario de Ciencia y Tecnología (IUCT) under the leadership of Dr J. Castell and Dr C. Estévez. The IUCT organised a series of international green chemistry conferences. These events earned a strong international reputation for bringing together leading scientists, industrial experts, educators and policy-makers, facilitating global knowledge exchange and helping to shape Spain's green chemistry agenda.

Over two decades, numerous initiatives were launched at all levels, from school outreach programs to advanced research training.³ A flagship achievement in the field of education is the creation of a joint interuniversity postgraduate program in sustainable chemistry. Originally launched in 2003 as an Interuniversity PhD Program in Sustainable Chemistry, it was one of the first initiatives of its kind worldwide. Over time, the program has evolved to meet changing legislative and academic frameworks, consolidating into a unified Master's and PhD curriculum jointly offered by several universities across Spain. With more than two decades of continuous development, the initiative has proven to be a clear success, having trained over more than 400 MSc and PhD graduates.⁴ It has laid a strong foundation for a new generation of professionals committed to promoting and applying the principles of green chemistry in both industrial and academic spheres.

Finally, the International Workshop on Sustainable Chemistry organized by Pedro Lozano and Eduardo García-Verdugo and held in Cartagena (Spain) in 2023, was the final initiative to catalyse the birth of the Spanish Green Chemistry Division.⁵ This workshop was attended by more than 150 participants and included as main speakers, among others, Paul T. Anastas, Walter Leitner, Arjan W. Kleij, François Jérôme, Jairton Dupont and Javier García-Martínez.

The sustained efforts carried out over the years culminated in a valuable opportunity to bring together many key actors in a shared forum, such as the one held in Cartagena, where needs, expectations, and common goals could be openly discussed. The international nature of the event and inspirational character, accelerated the birth of the GEQV within the RSEQ. This goal was finally realized in January 2024, with the unanimous approval of the entire governing board of the RSEQ.

Mission of the Spanish green chemistry division

Humanity currently faces unprecedented challenges including climate change, the depletion of our natural resources, excessive waste generation, and deforestation among others. Six out of nine planetary boundaries have been exceeded, signalling that our planet is far from safe operation to sustain humanity.^6,7

The launch of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations in 2015 (Fig. 2) should be considered as a key stimulus to revert the current consumptive model of our society towards sustainability.⁸ It should be noted that most of these goals (e.g., mitigation and adaptation to climate change, the sustainable use and protection of water and marine resources, the realization of a circular economy, the prevention and control of waste, the protection and the recovery of biodiversity and ecosystems) are strongly associated with achievements that can and are guided by chemistry.⁷ Driven by green chemistry principles (inside section of Fig. 2) and their technological applications, the chemical industry can produce clean products and waste-free, efficient processes (cf., principle 1) by using renewable raw materials (cf., principle 7) and selective (bio)catalytic transformations (cf., principle 9) to maximize atom-economy (cf., principle 2). The use of safer solvents (cf., principle 5) and avoiding the use of toxic and hazardous reagents and derivatives (cf., principles 4 and 8) to reduce the environmental impact of a given process also provides useful options to create sustainable alternatives.² In fact, the twelve principles of green chemistry are directly connected to most of the 17 SDGs. Examples include good health and well-being (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), climate action (SDG 13), life below water (SDG 14) and life on land (SDG 15), as depicted in Fig. 2.⁸

Fig. 2 Strategic convergence between the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,⁸ and the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry.²

All chemists from academia and industry associated with any of the green chemistry divisions around the world should embrace a similar overarching mission, i.e. to educate, investigate, disseminate and promote clean and green chemical strategies to face environmental challenges and promote sustainability around the world. In this context, chemistry stands as an essential tool to achieve (economic) growth and prosperity that is both equitable and respectful of the environment. Through the application of green chemistry approximations, environmentally benign alternatives to existing materials and technologies can be systematically introduced across all areas of manufacturing and value chains, thereby fostering a more sustainable future.

At present, our economic systems are primarily based on a linear consumption model (i.e., take-make-use-waste) that results in an exponential increase in waste generation and associated environmental problems. However, by changing the current paradigm to the utilization of “waste as a resource of tomorrow”, we can transition towards a more attractive and sustainable circular economy and chemistry model. In this regard, the United Nations SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) can be viewed as being the closest to green chemistry. It emphasizes the key role of “decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation, increasing resource efficiency, and promoting sustainable lifestyles”. This clearly requires and encourages responsible use and disposal of the limited resources of our planet, thereby emphasizing the necessity of recycling waste and using it as a resource in our industrial production chains.^6,7

The Spanish Green Chemistry Division of the RSEQ (Table 1) started its activities early 2024 with more than 180 members. The GEQV initiated with an enthusiastic board of recognised members active in various areas of green chemistry such as, but not limited to, the use of ionic liquids, the application of supercritical fluids, catalysis, deep eutectic solvents (DES), nanomaterials and sonochemistry. A unique feature of the GEQV governing board is the participation of R&D directors of two representative companies, viz. TAHE Productos Cosmeticos S.L. and OLON-Derivados Químicos S.A.

Table 1 First executive board of the Spanish Green Chemistry Division (GEQV)

President	Pedro Lozano – University of Murcia
Vice-president	Eduardo García-Verdugo – University Jaume I Castellón
Vice-president	Maria J. Hernaiz – Complutense University of Madrid
Secretary	Arjan W. Kleij – ICIQ in Tarragona
Treasurer	Belen Altava – University Jaume I Castellón
Members	Elena Ibanez – Institute of Food Science Research CSIC in Madrid
	Joaquin García-Álvarez – University of Oviedo
	Maria J. Sabater – ITQ/UPV Valencia
	Pedro Cintas – University Extremadura
	Beatriz Giner – University San Jorge Zaragoza
	Uwe Pischel – University Huelva
	Rene Rodriguez – OLON Derivados Químicos S.A.
	Juana M. Bernal – TAHE Productos Cosméticos S.L.

Our first activities were focused on disseminative actions in Spain supporting workshops, seminars, dissertations and debates addressed to high school and undergraduate students, and to the general public. These activities had two principal aims: (1) reducing chemophobia and (2) emphasizing the essential role of green chemistry to create a sustainable society. The first public presentation of the GEQV in the scientific community took place during the recent celebration of the Green Chemistry Symposium, being part of the XL Biennial Meeting of the RSEQ held in Bilbao (June 30–July 4, 2025). For this inaugural symposium organized by the GEQV, we had the honour of having the participation of Paul T. Anastas and John Warner, as well as Katalin Barta, the current president of the Green and Sustainable Chemistry Division of EuChemS. Their inspirational plenary lectures captivated the more than 200 attendees, while their presence gave the birth of the new Spanish Division of Green Chemistry a truly international exposure.

In addition to the scientific aspects, during this symposium, the formal ceremony of the adhesion of the GEQV and the RSEQ to The Stockholm Declaration on Chemistry for the Future,⁷ promoted by Paul T. Anastas, was held (Fig. 3A and B).⁹ Also, we celebrated the 2024 edition of the GEQV Awards ceremony (see Fig. 3C and D), with the following Spanish researchers being recognized for their achievements after a merit-based selection process:

GEQV Medal 2024, to Prof. Javier Perez-Ramirez (ETH, Zurich), for his brilliant scientific and academic career marked by multiple and innovative contributions in the field of green catalysis.

GEQV Award for Research Excellence 2024, to Prof. Esther Vázquez Fernandez-Pacheco (University Castilla La Mancha – Ciudad Real), for her innovative developments in the field of green chemistry for the production and multidisciplinary application of new advanced materials based on graphene.

GEQV Young Researcher Award 2024, to Dr Marcileia Zanata (University Jaume I – Castellón), for her brilliant career in the development and application of green technologies based on ionic liquids and advanced materials.

GEQV Distinguished Career Recognition Award 2024, to Prof. Santiago V. Luis (University Jaume I – Castellón), for his brilliant contributions throughout his scientific and academic career, which promoted the conception and development of green chemistry in Spain.

Fig. 3 A and B: Adhesion of the Spanish Division of Green Chemistry (GEQV) and the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ) to The Stockholm Declaration on Chemistry for the Future, signed by Paul T. Anastas (A, left), Pedro Lozano (A, centre) and Antonio M. Echavarren, President of the RSEQ (A, right). C and D: Javier Pérez-Ramirez (ETH-Zürich) receiving the 2024 GEQV Medal in the presence of (from left to right) Paul T. Anastas, Pedro Lozano, Arjan W. Kleij, John Warner and Katalin Barta.

As part of its mission to promote and support green chemistry, GEQV is organizing the 2^nd International Symposium on Green and Sustainable Chemistry, to be held jointly with the 8th International Conference on Biocatalysis in Non-Conventional Media (organized by the European Society of Applied Biocatalysis). This dual event will take place in Cartagena, Spain, from May 25 to 29, 2026. The conference will feature a distinguished lineup of confirmed speakers including Tom Welton, Javier Pérez-Ramírez, Uwe T. Bornscheuer, Audrey Moores, João A. P. Coutinho, Selin Kara and Francesca Paradisi, setting the stage for what promises to be a landmark scientific gathering.¹⁰

After years of dedicated efforts by individuals and small groups across the country, the creation of the GEQV marks a turning point. Building upon these pioneering foundations, the GEQV aspires to become a shared home and a common platform for the implementation, discussion, and promotion of green chemistry throughout Spain. Indeed, Spain's chemistry landscape has turned over a green leaf. With the GEQV now in place, the door to green chemistry is fully open. Through this new division, we are committed to connect science, industry, education and society in the pursuit of a more sustainable future. Green chemistry is not just a scientific discipline, it is a pathway towards transformation, and together we are ready to lead that change.

Pedro Lozano, President of the Spanish Green Chemistry Division-GEQV

Eduardo Garcia-Verdugo, Vice-president of the Spanish Green Chemistry Division-GEQV

Arjan W. Kleij, Secretary of the Spanish Green Chemistry Division-GEQV

References

1. P. Lozano and E. Garcia-Verdugo, Green Chem., 2023, 25, 7041–7057,  10.1039/D3GC01878D.
2. P. T. Anastas and J. C. Warner, Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice, Oxford University Press, New York, 1998.  DOI:10.1093/oso/9780198506980.001.0001.
3. S. V. Luis, B. Altava, M. I. Burguete and E. García-Verdugo, Educational Efforts in Green and Sustainable Chemistry from the Spanish Network in Sustainable Chemistry (chapter 15), in Worldwide Trends in Green Chemistry Education, ed. V. Zuin and L. Mammino, RSC, London, 2015, pp. 278–307.  10.1039/9781782621942-00278.
4. First Inter-University PhD and MSc Programs in Sustainable Chemistry in Spain. https://www.uji.es/estudis/base/2025/masters/quimica-sostenible-2020/.
5. P. Lozano and E. García-Verdugo, International Workshop on Sustainable Chemistry, Cartagena, Spain, May 8–11, 2023. https://www.iwsuschem2023.org/.
6. V. Tulus, J. Pérez-Ramírez and G. Guillén-Gosálbez, Green Chem., 2021, 23, 9881–9893,  10.1039/D1GC02623B.
7. J. Dupont and P. Lozano, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2024, 64, e20241645,  DOI:10.1002/anie.202416459.
8. United Nations. Transforming our world. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A/RES/70/1. New York 2015, https://sdgs.un.org/es/goals.
9. The Stockholm Declaration on Chemistry for the Future, https://www.stockholm-declaration.org/.
10. International Symposium on Green and Sustainable Chemistry, https://isgreensc2026bncm.org.

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