The GDCh does not expect others to do anything it does not do itself. Implementing our strategy therefore starts with us: at our conferences and meetings, in our publications, in our work to support early-career chemists and in the work of the office.
To this end, the Sustainability Commission is developing guidelines for sustainable action, which describe how sustainability can be taken into account in the GDCh’s activities, objectives and responsibilities as set out in its statutes. They are aimed at everyone who holds responsibility within the GDCh: Divisions and local sections, committees, the JCF (JungesChemieForum) and the office.
The guidelines are intended to be practical, with specific guidance rather than general appeals. They are being developed step by step: individual areas are being addressed, tested and supplemented in turn.
Event organisation is the first area being addressed. This is where the impact is most immediate – in participants’ travel, catering and materials, and the proportion of digital formats.
Our Sustainability Strategy – overview of the GDCh sustainability strategy (English-language poster, September 2026).
In 2024, the Board appointed a commission to develop a sustainability strategy for the GDCh. In 2025, it adopted the commission’s recommendations, created the necessary structures and established the Sustainability Commission.
The aim of the strategy is to embed sustainability in the GDCh’s processes. At the same time, drawing on our expertise, we want to provide information and thus contribute to sustainable action in science, business and politics.
The strategy covers more than we can work on at the same time. The commission therefore sets priorities. The first is sustainable action within the GDCh itself; the guidelines are the instrument for achieving this.
The systematic recording of our emissions is being established. Reliable figures are not yet fully available. As soon as they are, we will publish them here – including the areas where we are not making progress.
With these words, Prof. Dr. Stefanie Dehnen, then President of the German Chemical Society, presented the sustainability strategy in 2025 and opened the Commission’s work:
“The world faces major challenges, and chemistry can be a crucial key to shaping a sustainable future. As President of the German Chemical Society, it is a matter close to my heart that we take on this responsibility and lead the way. […] For us, sustainability is not just a buzzword, but a guiding principle that we want to embed in all our activities.”
Do you have any questions about the Commission’s work or would you like to get involved? Please contact us:
Website status: October 2026
