Our mission is to advance excellence in the chemical sciences and this has been the case since 1841 when 77 scientists – including doctors, academics, manufacturers and entrepreneurs – formed the Chemical Society of London, with dialysis inventor Thomas Graham as their first President.

Seven years later Queen Victoria granted a Royal Charter to the Society, confirming its purpose of "the general advancement of Chemical Science".

After 175 years our mission is just as relevant and valid; our work today still fulfils the roles undertaken by all four long-established bodies. But we pursue that mission on a scale the first 77 members would find inconceivable. We now have over 54,000 members across the world, an internationally-renowned not-for-profit publishing and knowledge business, and a reputation as an influential champion for the chemical sciences.

Energy & Environmental Science