A case study in green chemistry higher education and sustainable innovation in Colombia

Abstract

Green chemistry has emerged as a key driver of sustainable innovation by redesigning chemical products and processes to reduce environmental and human health impacts while supporting economic development. Education plays a central role in enabling this transition by equipping future professionals with system thinking, problem-solving skills, and sustainability-oriented competencies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In Latin America, however, the implementation of green chemistry remains uneven, with research largely concentrated in a few countries and predominantly focused on technical outcomes, while integrated educational and institutional approaches remain scarce. This article presents a longitudinal, qualitative case study documenting the systematic integration of green chemistry into higher education at the Universidad de la Costa in Colombia from 2015 to 2025. The study examines an educational model linking the problem-based pedagogical strategy in undergraduate chemistry laboratories with a green chemistry research seedbed composed of teachers and environmental engineering students conducting applied research to address local environmental challenges. Data were collected from institutional records, student projects, academic outputs, innovation outcomes, and participation in scientific and policy-oriented activities. The results show that approximately 4000 engineering students from the Department of Civil and Environmental were exposed to green chemistry concept through basic chemistry courses offered by the Department of Natural and Exact Sciences. Approximately 200 of these students engaged more deeply through seedbed research. This process generated measurable educational and innovative outcomes, including applied research projects, meritorious recognitions, a national patent, peer-reviewed publications, and direct contributions to regional sustainability initiatives such as decarbonization programs. The initiative also fostered institutional transformation through the revision of laboratory practices, alignment with international organizations such as Beyond Benign, and strengthened links between education, policy, and practice. From a Latin American perspective, this case illustrates how context-specific, university-based initiatives can contribute to global sustainability agendas by promoting quality education (SDG 4), responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), clean water solutions (SDG 6), sustainable innovation (SDG 9), and multi-stakeholder partnerships (SDG 17). The findings highlight green chemistry education as a scalable, policy-relevant pathway for empowering higher education institutions in the Global South to act as catalysts for sustainable development.