IUPAC Launches Global Call to Action for Responsible Chemistry
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — July 14, 2025 — In a world grappling with climate change, pollution, disinformation, and rapid technological shifts, the question is no longer can chemistry help—but how should it?
On July 14, 2025, at the opening of the IUPAC World Chemistry Congress, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) officially launched the Guiding Principles of Responsible Chemistry, a bold, forward-looking framework designed to transform how chemistry is practiced, taught, and perceived worldwide.
These Guiding Principles are more than a code of ethics: they are a call to action for scientists, educators, industry leaders, policymakers, and the next generation of chemists to align their work with humanity’s most urgent needs. Linked to IUPAC’s mission and core values and developed by a diverse global team over two years, the Principles define what it means to do chemistry responsibly in the 21st century, with transparency, equity, accountability, and sustainability at the core.
“Chemistry is not just about what we can make,” says; Javier García-Martinez, IUPAC Past-President and member of this IUPAC Project, “It’s about what we must do to ensure a livable, just, and sustainable future.”
The Principles aim to spark a cultural shift across the entire chemistry enterprise—from university labs to multinational corporations. They are especially targeted toward students and young scientists, equipping them to lead with purpose and integrity in a rapidly changing world.
A unique collaboration with the King’s Centre for Visualization in Science brought students directly into the process, ensuring the voices of future chemists helped shape the message. The student team contributed not only design elements—such as the website, icons, and taglines—but also crucial reflections that made the final product more engaging and relevant.
Accessible globally via https://iupac.org/responsible-chemistry, the Guiding Principles are a living resource designed to evolve and be used in classrooms, research labs, policy discussions, and public discourse alike.
Why it matters now
- Chemistry sits at the heart of solutions to climate resilience, energy transition, sustainable agriculture, and global health.
- The pace of innovation is outstripping public understanding and regulation.
- Society demands greater transparency and ethical conduct from science.
The launch of the IUPAC Guiding Principles for Responsible Chemistry marks a milestone moment for the global scientific community—and an invitation to all to help shape a more ethical, inclusive, and sustainable future through the power of chemistry.
Media Contacts
Javier Garcia-Martinez, Past-President, IUPAC <j.garcia@ua.es>
Peter Mahaffy, Titular Member, CEDEI Committee <peter.mahaffy@kingsu.ca>
About IUPAC
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is the world authority on chemical nomenclature, terminology (including the naming of new elements in the periodic table), standardized methods for measurement, atomic weights and many other critically-evaluated data. It develops and maintains recommendations that create a common language for the global chemistry community. The scientific work of IUPAC is conducted largely through a formal Project System in which proposals from chemists around the world are peer-reviewed and, if meritorious, are approved and supported. In addition, IUPAC has many other wide-ranging activities that ultimately impact both the chemical profession and the worldwide community as a whole. These include the publishing of technical reports, journals, books, databases and other information resources that facilitate the conduct of scientific research, conferences, and the provision of awards for the recognition of scientific excellence.