Greener Chemistry for a Sustainable Future: An Interdisciplinary Course based on Systems Thinking

Abstract

Growing concerns about environmental degradation, resource depletion, and climate change have positioned sustainable practices at the forefront of chemical education and research. Green chemistry provides a framework for addressing these challenges by designing chemical processes and products that prevent pollution and minimize environmental impacts. These developments underscore the need to prepare students to engage with sustainability challenges through interdisciplinary perspectives. A revised elective chemistry course adopts a systems-based approach that integrates green chemistry principles with environmental science, engineering, biology, economics, and policy. The course prepares students to connect chemical knowledge to real-world challenges and to engage in sustainability-driven problem solving. This article showcases a set of integrated educational strategies that combine green chemistry, systems thinking, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), while emphasizing real-world problem solving. Building on two decades of instruction, this manuscript presents the evolution of a course from a traditional lecture format to an interdisciplinary project-based model, supported by an assessment of student learning outcomes.