International Conference on Sustainable Chemistry for Net Zero (ICSC-NZ) – School of Chemistry
The inaugural International Conference on Sustainable Chemistry for Net Zero (ICSC-NZ) was held at the University from 10–13 June 2025. Created to provide a balanced alternative to highly specialised or overly broad meetings, the conference focused on the role of sustainable chemistry in achieving net-zero goals and encouraged multidisciplinary collaboration.
The event brought together 192 delegates from six continents and featured plenaries, oral presentations, flash talks, and posters covering green synthesis and catalysis, emerging energy-storage materials, and circular-economy approaches such as CO₂ capture and plastic recycling.
Plenary speakers included leading researchers such as Prof. David Milstein, Prof. Buxing Han, Prof. Dame Clare Grey, Prof. Regina Palkovits, Prof. Walter Leitner, Prof. George Shimizu, Prof. Francesca Kerton, and Prof. Sir Peter Bruce. Industry contributions from BASF, Merck, and Topsoe highlighted challenges in circularity, life-cycle assessment, and electrocatalysis for CO₂ and ammonia conversion.
The conference also offered networking opportunities – including a gala dinner, whisky tasting, and ceilidh – and strong engagement from early-career researchers, with multiple prizes awarded. Skills workshops on patent writing and policy engagement further supported professional development.
Participants were encouraged to sign the Stockholm Declaration on Chemistry for the Future (www.stockholm-declaration.org). The meeting successfully brought together a diverse research community and fostered new collaborations around sustainable-chemistry solutions for net zero.
The next ICSC-NZ conference will take place in September 2027 at the Institute of Carboquímica (ICB-CSIC) in Zaragoza, Spain.