The bumpy road to sustainability: Reassessing the history of the twelve principles of green chemistry

Abstract

The widely recognized 12 principles of green chemistry, introduced in 1998, have become a focal point for environmentally conscious chemists worldwide. These principles are regarded as a comprehensive summary of the achievements of green chemistry and a roadmap for future advancements in the field, aligning chemistry with sustainability goals. They have been hailed as groundbreaking in addressing pressing global challenges, including environmental and climate crises. However, a closer examination reveals a more nuanced perspective. Criticisms have emerged, asserting that these principles may stifle the creativity of emerging chemists and distort the history of green chemistry. Dissenting voices are growing, prompting scholars to reevaluate their effectiveness and relevance. It appears that the 12 principles provide an overarching narrative and a common language to practitioners of green chemistry but their success does not proceed from their ‘scientific’ qualities but should be rather understood in socio-historical terms. Analysing these principles provides insights into the mindset and collective identities of chemists, highlighting how underlying value-driven frameworks shape scientific discourse. It becomes evident that these frameworks can be co-opted and persist unquestioned for extended periods. The objective of this article is to demystify the 12 principles, stimulating dialogue on the necessity of self-reflection within scientific fields that heavily rely on value-laden sustainability-oriented terminology.