2025 Technical Session

This workshop examines the role of green chemistry to protect human and environmental health from Scope 3 emissions at the intersection of causation (e.g., detoxification, defossilization) and accountability (e.g., reporting, measurement). This duality of causation and accountability represent a widespread gap responsible for barriers to reducing meaningful chemistry-based carbon emissions.

Causation: Using industry case studies this multi-level training examines biobased platform molecules that replace petrochemical precursor molecules as inputs and end-of-life considerations such as microfiber/microplastics, biodegradation, chemical recycling/other advanced recycling technologies. Scope 3 emissions often represent the largest portion of a company’s GHG emissions.

Accountability: These Scope 3 indirect emissions, upstream and downstream, are often unabated because they are outside of a company’s direct control and difficulty in collecting high quality data creates barriers that require connecting the dots of consequences, impacts, and product life cycle.

Multifaceted workshop training approach including:

• A pre-conference survey and webinar to consider key Scope 3 challenges, findings reported in the conference workshop and explore the connection between causation, accountability & innovation.
• Audience: Identifying key stakeholders across the value chain of industry manufacturing, transportation, research – access real-time data for analytics, best practices, and innovation trends.
• Explore the nexus between industry and academia with working group members –How could academia and industry leaders work together to help supply data or create tools and solutions?

Workshop Discussion and Takeaways

Discussion Activity One: Scope 3 emissions often represent the largest portion of a company’s GHG emissions. These indirect emissions, upstream and downstream, are often unabated because they are outside of the company’s direct control and difficulty in collecting high quality data create barriers. How can these two sectors work together to share data and innovative ideas to address scope 3 emissions? What kind of data or tools could industry use to better measure scope 3 emissions?

Discussion Activity Two: What are the key integrations needed of Scope 3 principles and Green Chemistry principles in upscaling supply chain practices that can support SDG 3? Consider these levers: public policy, upstream and downstream supply chain impacts, United Nations recommendations for life cycling thinking and assessment.