Sustainability of the chemical manufacturing industry—Towards a new paradigm?

This paper describes the current situation of the chemical manufacturing industry, with special reference to Europe and looks to the future sustainability demands on the sector, and the implications of these demands for chemical engineering education. These implications include definitions of sustainability criteria for the sector and the need for transparent reporting under the Triple Bottom Line approach. The response of the education system to the sustainability agenda over the years and a number of strategies to incorporate it into courses are described. The important role of chemical (or more generally, process) engineers in delivering sustainable solutions is emphasised but this also suggests that a new way of thinking about the discipline is required. Indeed, this paper argues that the demand for a sustainable chemical manufacturing sector could bring about the next paradigm shift in the discipline which has been predicted for some time.

Research highlights▶ Sustainable engineering is becoming mainstream. ▶ Sustainability criteria for the chemical manufacturing industry. ▶ How can sustainability be incorporated into chemical engineering education. ▶ Will sustainability lead to a new paradigm for chemical engineering.