Sustainability includes social, economic, and environmental attributes.

Green chemistry focuses only on the environmental attribute and only on chemistry.

In spite of that, green chemistry has a significant contribution to environmental protection and chemistry itself to the economy and well-being.

Chemistry can play significant role in humanity's path to sustainability. Three bottom lines (TBL) of sustainable development are environmental, economic and social sustainability and security. Sustainable economy uses resources and energy efficiently (better to say eco-efficiently). Technologies used are efficient (eco-efficient), ecofriendly, non-invasive and don't do harm to environment and human health. That uses non-polluting renewable energy rather than polluting fossil fuels. Sustainable civilization translate 3R philosophy in waste management by reducing waste generation, reusing the reusable materials and recycling the resources. Manufacturing processes are designed to generate wastes as little as possible; waste produced are biodegradable and recycled through closing the loop.

Question may come in mind: How does Chemistry come into picture? Actually chemistry is life - in and out. We can't think human life and civilization without chemistry. The chemical industries produce so many product that we use to improve upon our life, well being and economic development. There are fertilizers, pesticides, pharmaceuticals (medicines), plastics and other polymers, water purification agents, and many many others. Most of the problems we are facing during last two centuries can be solved bu scientific and technological intervention, in general and chemistry, in particular. There are two sides (faces) of the chemical industries -(i) the good one we have stated above, and (ii) the bad face of pollution problems from such industries which presents so many nonbiodegradable and toxic chemicals posing huge ecotoxicological threat to nature and life forms.

Green Chemistry fulfills the above criteria and has emerged as a potential driver of sustainability. It's basic principles are again stated below.

Prevention: It is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean up waste after it has been created.

Less Hazardous Chemical Syntheses: Wherever practicable, synthetic methods should be designed to use and generate substances that possess little or no toxicity to human health and the environment.

Designing Safer Chemicals: Chemical products should be designed to effect their desired function while minimizing their toxicity.

Design for Energy Efficiency: Energy requirements of chemical processes should be recognized for their environmental and economic impacts and should be minimized. If possible,

synthetic methods should be conducted at ambient temperature and pressure.

Use of Renewable Feedstocks: A raw material or feedstock should be renewable rather than depleting whenever technically and economically practicable.

Design for Degradation (DfD): Chemical products should be designed so that at the end of their function they break down into innocuous degradation products and do not persist in the environment.

Can refer to two papers for clarification:-

Principles of Green Chemistry and Green Engineering

Occupational safety and health, green chemistry, and sustainability: a review of areas of convergence

Probably these days only this kind of Green Chemistry could save the entire globe from all hazardous effects that made by human. One way it is 'chemistry for life'.

RG friends posted the 12 principle of Green Chemitry.

Main purpose is that to prevent the POLLUTION. Later to get rid of using hazardous items in life. So that we can reduce the waste as well to decrease the need on declining assets.

Certainly it helps sustainability why not! Think about yore what did people have those days compare to this hi-tech era. Only difference is population tremendously increased. Believe we can manage sustainability if everybody practice. Then our planet earth is heaven. So far we destroyed a LOT, we may need strict and sincerity in following this kind of principles like Green Chemistry. Still in the beginning stage

(https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/greenchemistry.html)

Thanks a lot, Michael, Jayanta, Mousumi, Aparna and Ramadevi for your enlightening answers. In fact, Sustainable Development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The three major aspects of sustainable development are environment, economy, and community. Green Chemistry involves a series of reductions that lead to the goal of triple bottom-line benefits of economic, environmental, and social improvements. Costs are saved by reducing waste and energy use as well as making processes more efficient by reducing materials consumption. These reductions also lead to environmental benefit in terms of both feedstock consumption and end-of-life disposal. Furthermore, increased uses of renewable resources make manufacturing industry more sustainable. The reduction in hazardous incidents and the handling of dangerous substances provides additional social benefit

The entire idea behind Green Chemistry is to be sustainable.  If it is called Green and it has no sustainability to the work then it is just a title and not really green..  I am a green building consultant and I see this in the green movement in building.  Every builder is now saying they are green yet they can not even define what is meant by the term.

This is unfortunate but the way of a capitalistic society.  If there is money to be made in the claim then the companies will claim what ever gets them to more profit.

We need to stop talking about how "Green" things are and start talking about how much better it is to be sustainable.  The term Green has been abused so much that most people think it is not real anymore.  I for the most part in my chemical research and in my green consulting talk about not just green but doing the right thing for our children and making a better decision today for a better tomorrow.  

I tell people that I refuse to make a decision today that in any way will jeopardize the lives of my children or make them clean up something that I have promoted.

Green is a movement to do better for the future and future generations and to stop being self centered and asses.  I am not perfect but if we all will just do what is possible we could change the world over night.

Green chemistry has to be the way we move to the future.  It must be more them just the word it must be real.

George   

I agree with many of the statements above. We can no longer use economic principles of profit maximizing. Keeping nature alive and at sustainable level is an important condition for our future survival and welfare.

Nature can be destroyed not only by pollution, but also by non-sustainable harvesting. The growth of global GDP is typically accompanied by both.

I  was trying to work on similar topic in this paper:

Conference Paper Model of Dynamic Interaction between Economics and Nature

I think the green chemistry help to save the environment, but all artificial things have an impact on our planet environment.

Making chemistry greener has mainly been conducted through regulations and restrictions.“Instead of enacting the law that bans or regulates a chemical or a molecule that has a toxic or environmentally destructive effect, we need to think about how we invent a product that doesn’t have that effect.”- John Warner

Chemistry is study of interactions of atoms of different materials. Let our communication to such atoms be positive in direction of sustainability and growth of life on the Earth.

Many of the people talking about green chemistry do not see the line between old understanding in chemistry and any new look at how and why things happen.

May the following link interesting:

https://www.innovationpolicyplatform.org/oa_folders/toolbox/download/20763/4575/nojs

hello

Since the word “Green” first started being placed in front of chemistry, many people have argued about what the “right” definition of green chemistry is or isn’t. And, more importantly, what should one actually do to make chemistry “green” or “greener?”

What follows is a collection of design principles that various individuals and groups have proposed over time to answer that question. Most people stop at 12 principles, and most separate chemistry from engineering as if it were possible to do green chemistry in the absence of engineering. I’ve never found a way to do that and I firmly believe that there are no two disciplines, and no two communities more intimately tied to making the world more sustainable than chemistry and engineering. What you will find on the following pages is an attempt to organize various principles of green chemistry and engineering and present them in a way that helps people to make their chemistry and engineering “greener” and more sustainable. I hope you find this particular way of combining and presenting these principles to be helpful and useful.

Sincerely,

Dr. David Constable, Director, ACS Green Chemistry Institute®

A Continued Evolution of Principles: The Sandestin Principles of Green Engineering

In May 2003, over 65 scientists and engineers convened at The Sandestin Conference on "Green Engineering: Defining the Principles." This was the first conference of its kind and it inspired an in-depth discussion of key components of green engineering principles amongst the attendees. As a result, nine principles were collectively developed and presented. 

https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/greenchemistry/what-is-green-chemistry/principles.html

I think Green Chemistry needs to be adopted by more businesses (especially multinational corporations). If it is, then it has great potential to solve global climate problems.

Production of chemicals through various chemical reactions/processes is the basis of vast multinational industries from perfumes to plastics, farming to fabric, and dyes to drugs. Unfortunately, majority of chemical processes are not completely efficient, require multiple reaction steps and generate hazardous byproducts. Green chemistry is focused on efficient, safe and environmentally benign chemical reactions that are inexpensive and use renewable sources. In this context, use of catalyst in reactions reduces the amount of waste and offer the rational means of producing useful compounds in an economical, energy-saving and environmentally benign way.

Green Chemistry also looks at uses for the by products of the processes. It is called waste to profit steams. It the industry would quit trying to dump the toxins and find a use for them we could have a much better world. And by use I do not mean putting them under a mountain where they will become a problem later or as an underlayment on a street where the future generations will need to clean it up I mean a new product that is now safe and useful.

I believe, GREEN itself symbolizes sustainability! Green Chemistry deals with the use of everything that is environmentally compatible, harmless, sustainable and taking care of the future generations! Already a lot of harm has been done to the environment and green practices may probably help in reverting these changes, at least to some extent! Mother Earth has been very kind and is still giving us her immense blessings! implementation of green chemistry and green practices may give us some safe measures!

George E. Van Hoesen and Michael Harrison Smith provided good answers. I must add that the principles of sustainability deal with environmental health, social equity, and economic development. Green Chemistry can impact each area as was explained by many of the respondents.

https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/greenchemistry/what-is-green-chemistry/principles/12-principles-of-green-chemistry.html

Please have a look at these useful links

Article Evolution Of Green Chemistry And Its Multidimensional Impact...

Thanks Dear Hamit Can and Sikandar Khan for sharing informative links.

https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/greenchemistry/what-is-green-chemistry/principles/12-principles-of-green-chemistry.html

This might be helpful

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334163727_GREEN_CHEMISTRY_BEGINNING_RECENT_PROGRESS_AND_FUTURE_CHALLENGES

In my opinion “green chemistry” cannot directly determine all important aspects mentioned: human welfare, natural resource management, economic development, food and energy security and environmental sustainability. Instead, I suggest the entity of “green development”, which is widely matching to the contexts of: environmental responsiveness, resource efficiency, social cohesion, as well as cultural diversification and respectfulness. Actually “green chemistry” is better interrelated to the issues of technological advancements on RES, responsible use of natural resources, and the impact of “carbon footprint” (no the entity of “sustainability”) on climate and society. Of course green chemistry will still play a decisive role in the sustainable future of the planet Earth.

The Green Chemistry accommodates the principles of sustainability because it is need of the clean and hazardous free environment. This is urgent need of present and future clean environment. It is essential for sustainable environment .

This is a useful link to explore more on 12 principles of Green Chemistry: https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/chemistry/greener-alternatives/green-chemistry.html?utm_source=researchgate&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sigmaaldrich-chemsynth

Green Chemistry accommodates the principles of sustainability eliminating the generation of the hazardous substances.Particularly, generation of hydro-electric power, wind mills, and use of biomass for production of electricity generation are sustainable sources.

With context to agriculture, green chemistry assumes importance for chemical fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals. But green chemistries for pesticides application is important for safe food. There is need to promote green chemistry pesticides for safety to human being, animals and environment.

https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_is_GREEN_HEALTH_A_GREEN_ECOTOURISM-updated - Health is obviosly related to Biochemistry & Pharmacology . Tourosm ie pharmacognosy .

‘According to the sustainable development definition " Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"

Professor, the green chemistry accommodate sustainability by development of solutions to anthropologic activities outputs, such as better filters for flue gases, treatments to sewage, easier recycling processes, enhancement of materials capable taking more directly the energy from the atom, carbon capture, methane capture, NOx and SOx capture and so on...

Please review more opportunities on:

Article Greenhouse gases and air pollution: commonalities and differentiators