Three new sustainability-focused journals underline RSC's commitment to sustainability goals

We have announced the upcoming launches of three new journals themed around sustainability, as part of our ongoing commitment to support the chemical sciences in facing up to global sustainability challenges.

Today’s global challenges range from plastics polluting the oceans, to the urgent need to find more sustainable resources. But where will new solutions come from? How can we achieve global collaboration to address the big issues? And where can the chemical sciences deliver the biggest impacts?

The new journals, RSC Sustainability, Sustainable Food Technology and EES Catalysis aim to answer these pressing questions from a range of perspectives, bolstering the RCS’s already sizeable suite of sustainability-focused journals. All the new journals are gold open access and the RSC will be covering all article processing charges (APCs) until mid-2025 - enabling scientists and institutions from around the world to share research at no charge.

The RSC is a signatory to the SDG Publishers Compact, which aims to accelerate progress to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The aims of EES Catalysis specifically align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 7 – to ensure access to affordable, reliable and modern energy for all.

Dr Emma Wilson, Royal Society of Chemistry Director of Publishing, said: "While the scale and seriousness of these many sustainability challenges is undoubtedly urgent, we know that scientists from around the globe are already working on innovative, ground-breaking solutions, working together and sharing ideas. I’m enthusiastic about our Royal Society of Chemistry journals taking this important step to enable them to further their work.

"It’s essential that we remove barriers to both accessing and publishing research. That’s why we’ve made all three journals gold open access, and initially waived all article processing charges. The new journals form part of our publishing strategy goals, to provide the platforms, opportunities and tools for the chemical sciences community to network, build and exchange knowledge, adapt and thrive."

Professor Tom Welton, President of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: "As a global society we are facing urgent and pressing challenges, from rising sea levels to impacts on food production. There is increasing pressure on scarce resources such as the precious elements required for medicine, technology, and sustainable energy, and we’re facing unprecedented levels of pollution in the natural environment and in our air.

"Many of us are concerned about our natural environment and the impacts of climate change, with three quarters of young people surveyed for our recent Green Shoots report telling us that they feel anxious about the future of the planet. The chemical sciences will be central to unearthing the technologies, methods, and knowledge needed to safeguard the future of our planet – for us and for future generations. That’s why I’m proud that the Royal Society of Chemistry is leading the way by expanding their sustainability journals portfolio with these three new journals – providing a home for even more cutting-edge research to help tackle the urgent issues facing us all."

The announcement comes as part of the RSC’s wider sustainability programme, which encompasses policy, education, research and more. Recent activities include the Polymers in Liquid Formulations report – which raises awareness of the potential environmental impacts of products such as shampoo, detergent and paint, and the Precious Elements campaign, which highlighted the precious elements contained in everyday technology, and called for more sustainable manufacturing and better large scale recycling for these products.