The 2026 Environment+Energy Leader Awards have recognized MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, for its commitment to preparing scientists to address sustainability through chemistry.
The company received a Spotlight Award in the Collaboration category for its partnership with Beyond Benign, a leading green chemistry education non-profit devoted to empowering educators to transform chemistry education for a more sustainable future. Judges remarked that the partnership showcases, “…a clear case for a meaningful, long-term collaboration between a major life science company and a nonprofit leader in green chemistry education.”
This award recognizes MilliporeSigma and Beyond Benign’s collaborative mission to integrate green chemistry into higher education at a scale only achievable through partnership. Judges commended the shared governance and coordination of the partnership through joint working groups to align on strategy, shared participation in education/industry events, and, most importantly, a concerted vision that led to key initiatives such as the Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) and the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC).
Beyond the implementation of the partnership, the award recognizes the impact and results of the work done. Since the partnership’s expansion in 2023, the two organizations’ shared engagement has reached 7.1 million students with free sustainability training—exceeding the original 2025 goal of 1.4 million. Additionally, more than 3,370+ users now have access to 415 open curriculum resources through the GCTLC platform.
To explore this year’s slate of award winners, read more on Environment+Energy Leader.
Learn more about the company’s sustainability initiatives by visiting its Sustainability & Social Business Innovation webpage.
