Are There Toxic Chemicals Lurking in Your North Face Jacket?

Stakeholders involved in international chemicals activities have compiled a list of actions to link sound chemicals management to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The group met in Geneva this week to discuss how their work keys into the 17 goals agreed last September in New York.

Achim Halpaap, head of the chemicals and waste branch at the UN Environment Programme (Unep), said the meeting had been inspiring: "It took the broad framework of the SDGs and linked it to very specific, concrete actions and guidance. It brought New York to ground-level."

Sound chemicals and waste management is a specific target of SDG12 on sustainable consumption and production. It is also referred to in SDG3 on good health and well-being, and SDG6 on clean water and sanitation.

Breakout sessions discussed links with these and other goals including:

SDG1 on zero poverty;

SDG2 on zero hunger;

SDG 5 on gender equality;

SDG9 on industry innovation and infrastructure;

SDG12 on responsible consumption and production;

SDG13 on urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Participants

Several attendees said the pervasiveness of chemicals meant their safe management underpinned all of the SDGs. Participants included experts from: Unep; the UN Conventions of Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm; and the UN's strategic approach to international chemicals management (Saicm).

As part of the discussions of how the sound management of chemicals and wastes can be effectively integrated with the SDGs, participants also tackled other topics. These included governance and accountability, economic tools, communication and indicators.

A session on industry and civic society initiatives and perspectives heard industry call for more global standards and harmonised regulation, and greater certainty in the substitution of chemicals of concern. A trades union speaker said "there was no law of nature" requiring supply chains to be so complex that companies were unable track substances of concern.

At the close of the meeting, David Azoulay, environmental and health director of the Centre for International Environmental Law, told Chemical Watch it was useful in that it outlined how any development plan needs to integrate the sound management of chemicals.

"Chemical and waste management will have a major impact on how much progress can be made under all of the goals."

Opportunity

Alexandra Caterbow of NGO Women in Europe for a Common Future said: The level of attention for sound management of chemicals and waste on global policy level is currently not very high.

"The SDG process presents a good opportunity to change that. However, much more effort by all stakeholders is needed, including to reach out beyond the chemical and waste community and actually implement practical activities to reduce exposure and protect human health and environment."

Representing the International Council of Chemical Associations, consultant Tom Jacob said: "With the global embrace of SDGs, it is the first time we have had a common definition of what the scope of sustainable development will be in the long term."

He added that "chemicals are well placed to work to meet the SDGs as it has good experience of the main stakeholders – government, industry and NGOs – working together at the international level, and this should serve well in integrating with the development community and other stakeholders in the SDGs."

The agreed messages and insights from the meeting will be available shortly. From it a two-page information document of the meeting will be presented to the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi in June.