The current global threats posed by rising greenhouse gas emissions and dwindling fossil fuel resources will set the agenda for radically new approaches to sustainability in energy generation, product design and manufacturing processes.  As Green Chemistry looks to the future the fundamental scientific challenges facing the field could include:

• the design protocol for molecular structures that are inherently less hazardous to human health and the environment
• the integration of material and energy systems for the synthesis and isolation of new molecules
• a molecular level understanding of the nature of chemical synergism in the body and the biosphere
• a deep and rigorous investigation of the manifestation of chemical endocrine disruption
• design of chemical systems that possess intrinsic ability to resist perturbations that could cause accidents, performance failure or toxicity (resilience)
• using weak intermolecular forces able to impart performance
• design of solvents and systems where external stimuli (e.g. heat, light) can change physical properties  

The 2006 Green Chemistry GRC will be at Magdalen College, Oxford from 27th August to 1st September.  To find out more, see the programme by following the link below.  This site also contains links to the GRC application and registration pages to participate in the debate on the current and future direction of Green Chemistry.