China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment responds on environmental issues

"With the increasing understanding of the environmental and health hazards of chemical substances and the continuous development of environmental monitoring technology, the number of new pollutants that may be identified will continue to increase.

You will notice that the United Nations Environment Programme uses the term 'Emerging pollutants' for new pollutants, and 'Emerging' is a tense of progression, indicating that new pollutants may continue to increase. " Ren Yong said.

Ren Yong said that in recent years, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with relevant departments, has carried out four main areas of work in the environmental risk management of toxic and hazardous chemical substances, laying a better foundation for the management of new pollutants.

First, to promote the establishment of a system of regulations and standards. We have studied and promoted legislation on environmental risk management of toxic and hazardous chemical substances, and revised the Measures for the Registration of Environmental Management of New Chemical Substances.

At the same time, technical specifications such as the Technical Methods for Environmental Risk Assessment of Chemical Substances were developed.

Second, strengthen the management of access at source. Continuing to carry out registration of environmental management of new chemical substances to prevent new chemical substances with unreasonable environmental risks from entering economic and social activities and the ecological environment.

For example, in 2021, a total of 564 new chemical substances were approved for registration, and more than 500 environmental risk control measures were proposed.

Third, promote environmental risk control of toxic and hazardous chemical substances.

It has carried out environmental risk assessments of chemical substances, issued two batches of the List of Priority Chemicals for Control and included a total of 40 types of chemical substances that should be prioritized for control, and promoted measures to control the environmental risks of toxic and hazardous chemical substances along the whole life cycle by banning their production and use, implementing clean production, restricting and controlling their content in products, and including them in the list of toxic and hazardous pollutants in the air, water and soil. Fourthly, we are actively participating in the global chemical compliance activities.

Fourthly, we are actively participating in global chemical compliance activities.

Taking the implementation of the Stockholm Convention and the Minamata Convention as a starting point, we have restricted and banned the production and use of a number of toxic and hazardous chemical substances controlled by the conventions.

In the course of implementing the Stockholm Convention, China has phased out 20 types of persistent organic pollutants.

Ren Yong said that many measures for the management of new pollutants have to be implemented in the management of water, gas and soil pollution, reflecting the "traction-driven" characteristics and laws of chemicals environmental management on environmental pollution prevention and control, "The next step, after the action plan is issued, our ministry will work with relevant departments to conscientiously implement the program provisions.

The next step, after the action plan is issued, the Ministry will work with relevant departments to implement the initiatives and tasks stipulated in the plan."