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Call for Symposia

Read the call for symposia guidelines below and submit your proposal by October 13, 2026.

Submit a Symposium

Call for Symposium Proposals – GC&E Conference

The Green Chemistry & Engineering (GC&E) Conference invites proposals from symposia that reflect the evolving landscape of green and sustainable chemistry and engineering. The strongest proposals will clearly articulate how their session contributes to one or more SDG 12 targets and identify pathways for implementation, adoption, measurement, and impact.

Conference Theme

For more than 30 years, the Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference has convened scientists, engineers, educators, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and industry leaders to advance chemistry as a force for sustainability. In 2027, the conference will focus on United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12): Responsible Consumption and Production. Chemistry and engineering sit at the heart of SDG 12 because they influence how materials, products, and processes are designed, manufactured, used, recovered, and reimagined throughout their life cycle. The conference seeks proposals that move beyond incremental improvements and explore scalable solutions capable of transforming how chemicals, materials, products, and manufacturing systems are designed, produced, used, and recovered. While proposals may be submitted under any conference track, organizers should identify how their session advances one or more of the following SDG 12 priorities:

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Driving Responsible Consumption & Production Through Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering

Sustainable Management and Efficient Use of Natural Resources (Target 12.2)
Advancing technologies, systems, and practices that improve resource efficiency while reducing environmental impacts.

Responsible Management of Chemicals and Waste (Target 12.4)
Designing safer chemicals, reducing hazardous exposures, preventing pollution, and improving chemical stewardship across product life cycles. 

Waste Prevention, Reduction, Reuse and Recycling (Target 12.5)
Developing circular systems that eliminate waste and keep materials in productive use.

Sustainable Business Practices and Reporting (Target 12.6)
Accelerating adoption of green chemistry and engineering through industry leadership, metrics, reporting, and implementation.

Sustainable Procurement and Market Transformation (Target 12.7)
Driving demand for safer and more sustainable chemicals, materials, and products.

Education, Awareness and Workforce Development (Target 12.8)
Building the knowledge, skills, and partnerships needed to support sustainable production and consumption.

Global Capacity Building and Technology Transfer (Target 12.a)
Supporting international collaboration and expanding access to sustainable technologies.

The Conference Organizing Committee seeks proposals that:

  • Are scientifically grounded, avoiding vague or unsubstantiated claims. Clearly articulate how the session contributes to advancing green and sustainable chemistry and engineering, using metrics and data where possible.
  • Relevance to the conference theme and one or more SDG 12 targets, and potential to accelerate adoption, implementation, or measurable impact
  • Present diverse perspectives from scientists engaged in fundamental research, industrial scientists, business leaders, educators, students, government, NGOs, etc. *Note: We encourage co-presented sessionsthat pair academic researchers with industry scientists & engineers to highlight real-world applications and successful partnerships.
  • Deliver creatively designed sessions that are highly interactive/engaging (e.g., facilitate lively discussion and/or panel, and include sufficient time for Q&A).
  • Leave attendees with practical takeawaysthey can apply in their own work, research, or teaching.
  • Prioritize industry-academia collaboration, with preference given to sessions that meaningfully incorporate co-presented talks, mixed-sector panels, and cross-sector and stakeholder dialogue.
  • Support structured networking opportunities within your session, such as facilitated roundtables and open forums that encourage meaningful engagement between participants.

Conference Tracks:

  • Synthesis & Catalysis
  • Circularity of Chemicals and Materials
  • Sustainable Product Design
  • Education, Workforce Development & Community Engagement
  • Polymers
  • Green Energy & Fuels
  • Sustainable Process Design
  • Entrepreneurship & Commercialization (NEW)
Learn More

Proposal Requirements

Each proposal should include:

  1. Session Rationale (≤ 500 words)
    Describe the need for this session at GC&E. Avoid generic language—focus on specific challenges, opportunities, or knowledge gaps your session will address.
  2. Practice Gaps & Impact
    Identify the current limitations in the field and how your session will help close those gaps. Emphasize measurable or observable outcomes.
  3. Speakers & Topics
    List proposed speakers (with affiliations), anticipated presentation topics, and the balance of invited vs. contributed talks. Describe how you will ensure inclusion and belonging in your speaker selection (see Inclusion & Belonging Statement below).
  4. Session Format & Interactivity
    Explain how you will foster engagement. We encourage formats that go beyond traditional lectures—think panels, roundtables, or collaborative problem-solving. 
  5. Session Title
    Propose a clear, specific, original, succinct, and thoughtfully crafted title that is compelling, and avoidoveruse of  terms like “green,”   “innovation,” or “advancement.” Titles should reflect the unique focus of the session and help distinguish it from others.

Review Criteria

Proposals will be reviewed and considered using the following criteria:

  • Topic meets the definition of green and sustainable chemistry or engineering.
  • Topic supports the conference theme, Driving Responsible Consumption and Production Through Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, and contribution to one or more SDG 12 targets.

  • Scientific and technical merit, including the significance, rigor, and timeliness of the proposed topic.
  • Potential to drive measurable impact through implementation, adoption, commercialization, policy, education, or systems-level change.
  • Diversity of proposed speakers and organizers (See Inclusion and Belonging statement below).
  • Quality of participant engagement, industry-academia collaboration, and opportunities for meaningful discussion and networking.
  • Number of proposals submitted by a given organizer. Organizers may be involved in a maximum of 2 sessions.
  • Topic overlap with other proposals, number of submissions from organizers, and available meeting space.

Green Chemistry & Engineering (GC&E) Conference Inclusion & Belonging Statement

Inclusion & Belonging are core values of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the ACS Green Chemistry Institute. We believe in the power of and respect for all chemists. The multitude of people, backgrounds, experiences, and ideas lead to superior solutions to world challenges and advances chemistry as a global, multidisciplinary science.  We are committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive, and diverse conference environment. All GC&E participants are expected to treat others with respect to facilitate open dialogue and effective discussions. For more guidance refer to the Volunteer & Participant Code of Conduct. 

We ask that symposium organizers be mindful of the following guidelines as they are finalizing their speaker lists for GC&E:

  • Feature speakers from a variety of geographic regions, career stages, and institution types.
  • Incorporate multiple stakeholder perspectives (i.e. academia, industry, policymakers, community members, etc.), where appropriate.