Keynote, Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12)
Sustainable chemistry in the Caribbean
Dr Michael M Forde UWI SusChem Group, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine
The Caribbean region is in its infancy in the implementation of sustainable chemical technology but has recently has made concerted efforts to integrate sustainability into the energy and minerals, agriculture, transport, and business service sectors. Creating innovative solutions through chemistry remains largely unexplored territory. In this talk we will provide a summary of the landscape of chemistry at work in the region in support of SGDs 7 and 12. An overview of the research being undertaken at the University of the West Indies in materials for energy applications, green catalysis and sustainable chemicals for health and wellbeing will be presented. Insights from specific examples will demonstrate how careful materials design can increase the sustainability of processes such as aqueous phase furfural and levulinic acid hydrogenation to produce value added renewable chemicals. New work on the transition from thermocatalytic to photocatalytic transformation of biomass to value chemicals will be briefly highlighted to demonstrate the unexplored possibility of photocatalytic approaches as relevant for the sun abundant Caribbean region.
© The Author(s), 2023
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