Projects

Address systemic barriers to green chemistry commercialization through model collaborative and scalable solutions.

Example Projects

• In partnership with the Investor Environmental Health Network, gathered stakeholders from across the financial community to strategize about growing transition finance for sustainable chemicals. Learn more on Transition Finance for Sustainable Chemicals and Materials.

• Convened and facilitated, the December 14, 2022 Collaborative Innovation Forum: Functional Substitutes to 6PPD in Tires to identify collaborative needs and opportunities to expedite the identification, evaluation, and implementation of safer and effective alternatives to 6PPD.

• Established the Expert Committee on Sustainable Chemistry (ECOSChem), which developed an ambitious, actionable definition and criteria for sustainable chemistry intended to enable effective government policy, business and investor decisions, and chemistry education that accelerates innovation and adoption of chemicals that are safer and more sustainable. This definition and criteria was submitted to the US Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in December 2022 and can be accessed here. The full Defining Sustainable Chemistry report is available to download. The webinar recording is available on the Catalyst YouTube channel.

• Established the Green Chemistry & Commerce Council (GC3) a business-to-business Network with over 100 members across the chemical value chain working to accelerate the development and commercialization of innovative green and sustainable chemistry solutions in response to market, science, and policy drivers. In 2021, the GC3 spun-out of UMass Lowell and is now operating as an independent business association integrally connected to the Sustainable Chemistry Catalyst.

• Worked with the German Government to establish the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Center (ISC3).

• Worked with the European Commission on a Chemicals Innovation Action Agenda.

• Currently working on behalf of the Washington Department of Ecology to facilitate a collaborative innovation forum to identify and replace 6PPD (N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N’phenyl-p-phenylenediamine) in automotive tires.

Recent Publications

Collaborative Innovation Forum: Functional Substitutes to 6PPD in Tires Meeting Report (2023)

Definition and Criteria for Sustainable Chemistry (2023)

Analyzing Success Factors to Accelerate the Commercialization of New Technologies that Replace Incumbents (2022)

GC3 Recommended Framework for Ingredient Disclosure for Articles

Green Chemistry: A Strong Driver of Innovation, Growth, and Business Opportunity

View Publications

Serve as a methodological and practice home to the growing field of alternatives assessment.

Example Projects

• Launched the Association for the Advancement of Alternatives Assessment, which is a thriving professional society solely dedicated to advancing the science, practice, and policy of alternatives assessment and informed substitution.

• Worked on behalf of the US Department of Defense to advance methodological developments in alternatives assessments to support the availability and adoption of high-performing, safer, and more sustainable alternatives to aqueous film forming foam (AFFF).

Work with government agencies and private sector stakeholders to develop model policy and programmatic paradigms that effectively support the development and adoption of safer, more sustainable chemicals, materials, and products.

Example Projects

• Worked on behalf of the Government of Canada to outline options for advancing informed substitution and alternatives assessment within Canada’s chemicals program

• Worked for several years with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to develop their substitution strategy, training materials, and a network of substitution centers in Europe.

• Currently working with California Department of Toxic Substances Control on tool kit of policy instruments for enhanced chemicals management and sustainable funding.

• Currently working on a project on behalf of Belgium Ministries to support the development of policy measures to promote the substitution of substances of very high concern.