The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (Iupac) launched a set of guiding principles for responsible chemistry in July, with the aim of sparking a global conversation on how chemistry can be practiced more responsibly, and what that looks like in practice. Iupac, the international authority responsible for standardising chemistry, described this new document as ‘a call to action’ for scientists, educators, industry leaders, policymakers and the next generation of chemists to align their work with humanity’s most urgent needs. The organisation also described it is ‘a living resource’, intended to evolve as the challenges and responsibilities of chemistry continue to grow.
These new principles, framed as a foundation for dialogue, encourage chemists to practice responsible innovation, foster a culture of safety, sustainability and responsibility across the discipline, and uphold the values of inclusivity, integrity and accuracy, were presented at the autumn meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Washington DC in August. They were introduced by two of the initiative’s co-authors and past presidents of Iupac, physical organic chemist Mark Cesa, who is also a member of the ACS’s Committee on Ethics, and Javier García-Martinez, an inorganic chemist at the University of Alicante in Spain.
Chemistry World caught up with Cesa and García-Martinez to find out more about their plans for this high-profile project.
Why did Iupac release these principles this summer?
Cesa: We wanted to time the guiding principles’ kick-off with the Iupac World Chemistry Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which was in July. The theme of that biennial event, convened to discuss emerging trends in chemistry and foster international collaborations in the field, was ‘chemistry for sustainable future’ and it was an ideal forum for introducing these principles to the chemistry community.
What has been the response?
García-Martínez: We are very excited because these guiding principles are getting a lot of traction, a lot of interest from the chemistry community.
Cesa: I have been very gratified by the enthusiasm with which the principles have been received so far, and we want to capitalise on that.
What is the ultimate vision for this project?
García-Martinez: I would like to see undergraduate chemistry textbooks include the guiding principles alongside the 12 principles of green chemistry introduced by Paul Anastas and John Warner in 1998. Our aim is to broaden the conversation.
Designing chemical processes to be sustainable is essential, but it is only part of the picture. Equally important is how we ensure the reliability and transparency of our data and prevent reproducibility issues in our research and reporting, how we uphold the highest standards of safety and security in our laboratories and industries, and how we communicate our science responsibly to society. These considerations, which involve ethics, inclusion, safety, equity and transparency, extend well beyond sustainability. The guiding principles are not meant to replace the green chemistry framework but to expand it, embedding responsibility and systems thinking into the very fabric of how chemistry is taught and practiced.
What comes next?
García-Martínez: We are now preparing to launch the second phase of the guiding principles through a new Iupac project focused on education. Our goal is for the chemistry education community to take full ownership of these principles, integrating discussions about the ethical dimensions of chemistry directly into the classroom. Green chemistry is already well established, but chemistry encompasses many other, more complex aspects that must also be addressed. Equally important is bringing in a global perspective, ensuring that these principles are relevant and inclusive worldwide is essential.
How will you get these principles to undergraduates?
García-Martínez: Iupac is deeply involved in the global chemistry education community. Every two years, we organise the International Congress on Chemistry Education, the world’s largest gathering in this field, which most recently took place in Thailand and will next convene in Turkey in July 2026. This provides a unique platform to introduce the guiding principles within the education community and to ensure that the next generation of chemists is not only well-trained scientifically but also grounded in the core values of responsibility, ethics, inclusion and sustainability. We will also be working with publishing houses to create new educational materials that can be incorporated into textbooks.
Cesa: Right now, the guiding principles are freely available on our website to anyone who wants to work with them. Now, we need to disseminate them as broadly as possible. So, our plan is to make presentations and write articles about the guiding principles in a variety of forums. And the talk I’m scheduled to give at the ACS meeting is an example of that. I will provide a description of what the guiding principles are, why we developed them and how they can be used. To reach a broader audience, I will also be presenting them in December at PacifiChem in Hawaii.
Now, it’s time to listen. How the chemistry community responds to these guiding principles is very important. They are not set in stone. They were produced by a very international group of people over a process that took more than two years, and now it is crucial to get feedback. This is a global initiative, and so we also need to be culturally aware to hear how different communities feel about this document. To support this dialogue, Iupac has also released educational materials for use in schools, research labs and industrial settings that will help instructors and practitioners to integrate the guiding principles into day‑to‑day decisions and discussions.
What will you do to make it more global?
Garcia-Martinez: We have a group at Iupac called the President’s Forum, which brings together the leaders of chemical societies and federations from around the world to collectively address key issues in chemistry. We held a Presidents’ Forum in Kuala Lumpur, where we introduced the guiding principles to the presidents of chemical societies around the world and asked them to take ownership of them and disseminate them through their own channels. By using this platform and others like it, we are ensuring that the global conversation on what it means to be a responsible chemist reaches every corner of the world. To support this, we are translating the guiding principles and the accompanying educational materials into as many languages as possible, making them accessible to all.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
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