The Leuphana Campus building with students outdoors

Summer School

Summer School on Sustainable Chemistry for Sustainable Development

The Summer School is an annual event jointly organised by the ISC3 Research and Education Hub and the Leuphana University in Lüneburg. During the program participants learn about the latest developments around the concepts of Sustainable Chemistry including chemicals management. The summer school has been held since 2015.

Target audience of the Summer School are postgraduates, PhD-students as well as young professionals from industry, public authorities, research and non-governmental organizations professionally interested in the topic of Sustainable Chemistry as a cross-cutting issue. The international trainers’ team consists of scientists and practitioners actively operating in sustainable chemistry-related fields or international.

The program comprises lectures, practical exercises, case studies, group discussions, a field trip and a laboratory tour to exemplify important aspects of Sustainable Chemistry. Due to the pandemic, the Summer School took place as a virtual event 2020-2022.

At the end of the Summer School the participants receive a certificate.


The focus changes every year according to the ongoing discussion on Sustainable Chemistry. Topics dealt with so far are:

  • Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (2024)
  • Climate crisis (2023),
  • Hydrogen Economy (2022),
  • Agriculture (2021),
  • Water (2020),
  • Renewable Energy (2019),
  • Sustainable Building and Living (2018),
  • Sustainable Chemistry and e-Waste (2017),
  • Sustainable Textiles" (2016) and
  • Sustainable Chemistry in International Cooperation (2015).

For more information on this year's Summer School and other upcoming events in the field of Sustainable Chemistry, visit our
Event Calendar

Summer School 2023

After 2019, this year’s Summer School was held again on-site at the Leuphana Campus in Lüneburg. The 9th Summer School on Sustainable Chemistry focused on climate crisis and was jointly organised by the ISC3 Research and Education Hub, Leuphana University and the Climate Action Programme for the Chemical Industry (CAPCI).

The Summer School brought together highly motivated international participants with different chemistry-related backgrounds and professional experiences. During the first two days, international experts shared their knowledge on the UNEP Green and Sustainable Chemistry manuals, EU Green Deal, European Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and chemical leasing – as an alternative business model for the chemical industry.

In the last three days of the Summer School, impacts of the chemical sector on the climate and which solutions can be offered by chemical innovations and new technologies were discussed in interactive lectures, workshops and an excursion to a cement plant. General concepts and approaches of Sustainable Chemistry were explored and opportunities and challenges for the transformation of the chemical industry and related value chains were elaborated with a focus on Sustainable Chemistry, circular economy, low-emission processes and products.

Young scientists in the field of Sustainable Chemistry were given the opportunity to present and discuss their research results in a poster session. The Summer School offered many opportunities for fruitful discussions and networking as well as inspiring exchanges and new insights on how Sustainable Chemistry can mitigate climate crisis!

For more information on this year's Summer School and other upcoming events in the field of Sustainable Chemistry, visit our Summer School 2023 Review.