A simple, green, and environmentally benign protocol for squaric acid (5 mg) catalyst conjugate addition of aromatic amines and thiols to unsaturated carbonyl compounds in water in good to excellent yields is developed. The advantages of low sensitivity toward moisture and oxygen, high tolerance of different functional groups, green reaction media and efficient recyclability make this organocatalyst suitable for both laboratory and industrial scale synthesis of b-substituted carbonyls under very mild conditions.