Sustainability as a guiding principle: our path to the future

The world faces major challenges, and chemistry can be a key factor in shaping a sustainable future. As President of the German Chemical Society (GDCh), it is a matter close to my heart that we meet this responsibility and lead the way. For this reason, I am pleased to present our sustainability strategy to you today. For us, sustainability is not just a buzzword, but a guiding principle that we want to embed in all our activities. The aim of our strategy is to embed sustainability in all our processes at the GDCh. Building on our expertise, we want to provide information and thus help develop solutions and promote sustainable action in science, business and politics. The Board has adopted the recommendations of the commission established specifically to develop the strategy in 2024 and created the necessary structures to implement our sustainability strategy effectively, including setting up a Sustainability Commission. The GDCh Sustainability Commission comprises representatives from various Divisions and institutions and is the central component of the GDCh’s sustainability governance. Our mission for a sustainable future is ambitious but achievable: we want to reduce our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2040. In addition, we are advancing sustainable circular economy solutions and developing effective solutions to relevant environmental issues within our Divisions. At the same time, we are committed to equal opportunities in science and education and provide balanced information on issues relating to sustainable chemistry. To achieve these goals, we need the support and commitment of our members. I would therefore like to warmly invite you to support the implementation of our sustainability strategy. Together, we can make the GDCh a sustainability pioneer in chemistry and develop solutions for a sustainable future. Let us follow this path together and firmly embed the values of sustainability—environmental, social and governance—within our organisation. I am counting on your support and look forward to working with you to lead the GDCh towards a liveable future through sustainable action. We will be pleased to contact you in due course with relevant requests and opportunities.