It is my honour to have been invited to contribute, on behalf of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), to this important topical issue on International Chemistry for a Sustainable Society.Globally,there are urgent and shared problems we need to solve to create a truly sustainable world, for everyone and for future generations.Chemistry will play a major role in achieving sustainability, whether that is in tackling air pollution in our cities, plastics in our oceans or creating opportunities for economic prosperity.