Participants at the first Expert Group Meeting on Green/Sustainable Chemistry Applications in Industries Involving Toxic Chemicals. OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü (center) addresses the first Expert Group Meeting on Green/Sustainable Chemistry Applications in Industries Involving Toxic Chemicals.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) hosted the first Expert Group Meeting on Green/Sustainable Chemistry Applications in Industries Involving Toxic Chemicals in The Hague on 15 April 2016. The group includes representatives from industry, academia, and international organisations from across the globe.
OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, underlined the relevance of this Expert Group Meeting for the chemical weapons agenda by emphasising, “The promotion of peaceful uses of chemistry and a culture of safety and security among chemistry professionals is at the heart of the OPCW mandate.” The Director-General also expressed his hope to get as close as possible to eliminating the need for toxic chemicals used in industrial and other applications.
During this inaugural meeting, the participants presented their activities in the field of green chemistry, including scientific research as well as educational and capacity building initiatives. They shared thoughts on avenues of collaboration between science and industry and they debated the needs, feasibility and benefits of application of green chemistry in industry.
Participants expressed their appreciation for the OPCW engaging the issue of green chemistry. They also developed, for the OPCW’s consideration, recommendations on steps to further enrich collective efforts promoting chemical safety, security and sustainability, including by providing assistance to mitigate risks due to the use of toxic chemicals in industry.