In 2010, Dr. Amy Cannon, the world’s first Ph.D. in the nascent field of green chemistry, was invited to speak at a Bioneers Conference on a panel about fostering eco-literacy in education. Speaking to an audience of hundreds of educators and activists, Amy was joined by educational trailblazers, including Dr. Anthony Cortese, Founder of Second Nature, one of the first organizations in the country dedicated to supporting sustainability and climate goals in higher education.

At the time, Amy’s green chemistry education nonprofit, Beyond Benign, was only a few years old. She was on a mission to change how chemistry was taught in educational institutions, resulting in a total reimagining of the way products are made as well as their health and safety for humans and the environment.

Historically, the chemical industry has created products and compounds without thought to their consequences on human health or the environment. These chemicals may be able to do the job they were intended for, but often leave toxic devastation in their wake. Toxicity has been seen as an unfortunate but necessary side effect, with the resulting impact on biodiversity, human health, and the larger environment left for others to deal with. Green chemistry principles transform this way of thinking, creating a framework where the final goalpost is “do-no-harm,” and the job of the chemist isn’t done unless the compound in question is proven to not be harmful. It invests in the true innovative skill required in chemistry, pointing out that toxic chemicals are, basically, unfinished chemistry experiments – the responsible parties didn’t finish the job.  

Throughout her career, Amy watched green chemistry education’s strongest leaders operate in silos within their institutions and the broader chemistry community. She knew that breaking down walls and uniting these leaders was essential. 

Back at the Bioneers conference, Amy listened as her co-panelist, Anthony Cortese, discussed the success of the higher education focused Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments. Incentivized by the promise of a higher education support network, the heads of hundreds of universities had voluntarily committed to ambitious climate goals. It was a brilliant way to leverage institutional interest in being on the leading edge and skip the wait for government regulations, putting power directly in the hands of the people.

“It was very action-oriented,” says Amy of Cortese’s project. “The idea was: ‘We’re going to do this now, regardless of future mandates. We have a role to play in this.’”

After their panel, Amy and Anthony connected one-on-one. A vision of how to apply this model to her own work was seeded, which crystallized in Amy’s head as she sat on the cross-country flight home. Beyond Benign established the Green Chemistry Commitment in 2013, inviting higher education institutions to join a global community of green chemistry leaders and receive support in bringing greener practices to their chemistry programs.

“The Green Chemistry Commitment was very much inspired by that Conference and by Tony’s program,” says Amy. 

Today, more than 130 colleges and universities worldwide have signed the Green Chemistry Commitment, and that number is rapidly increasing. Thanks in large part to the Green Chemistry Commitment, nearly 2,500 chemistry degrees have been awarded to graduates versed in green chemistry since 2013. In 2023, about 11% of new chemistry graduates were green-chemistry educated – a number that has been steadily growing since 2013. Stakeholders within committing institutions – which include the University of Michigan, UC Davis, and the University of Minnesota – credit Beyond Benign with providing essential support and motivation. Industry leaders are excited to support Amy and Beyond Benign as they catalyze the shift toward a sustainability-minded chemical workforce.

At Bioneers, remarkable stories like Amy’s emerge from every conference, driven by connections that transform lives and movements. We rely on your support to make that possible. Your contributions underwrite every single thing we do, from covering essential expenses like travel and world-class event production to funding our small but mighty team. While ticket sales help, they don’t come close to covering costs, as we aim to keep our prices affordable and offer ample scholarships.

Listen to Amy discuss her work at Beyond Benign at the 2015 Bioneers Conference.

Bioneers is deeply grateful for your support. But this is not just about us. Bioneers is a launchpad, a hub of connections and relationships – we exist to support and highlight the work of revolutionary people and projects. Your partnership is an investment in the movements and projects that are transforming how we live on this planet. Without being invited to attend and speak at the 2010 Bioneers Conference, Amy Cannon and Beyond Benign may not have conceived of one of their most successful ideas, and green chemistry education would be in a very different place than it is today. 

We invite you to join us in turning the visions emerging at Bioneers into reality. Become part of an innovative, transformative network in service of healing our relationship with the web of life. Thank you for your support.