Green Chemistry: Some important forerunners and current issues

In this essay some important forerunners of green chemistry will be discussed and compared with the present state. The relationship to ethics will be considered. Starting from the new movement of green chemistry by Anastas, some important highlights will be presented. The new activities of IUPAC and other institutions on the concepts of metrics for green syntheses will be discussed. The prime importance of the inclusion of developing African countries into the concepts will also be covered. Green chemistry philosophy has become part of sustainable chemistry which emphasizes the implementation of the concept of sustainability in the production and use of chemicals and chemical products for sustainable development and, some sustainable development concepts are included under the section on Africa.