Environment Ministers Commit to Action on Chemicals to Curb Pollution

Environment ministers from around the world have pledged to promote policies that address hazardous chemicals.

A ministerial declaration – which sets out a commitment to work towards a pollution-free planet – was adopted yesterday, the final day of the third UN Environment Assembly (Unea3).

The global meeting – which took place in Nairobi this week – had the overarching theme of pollution.

In the declaration, the ministers say that it is both "inexcusable and preventable that tens of thousands of chemicals are used in everyday objects and applied in the field without proper testing, labelling or tracking.

"Far too many communities lack either information about the chemicals and hazardous substances they use or are exposed to, or the capacity to manage them safely," it continues.

With this agreed, the declaration says the ministers will promote the adoption of policies and approaches, such as those for "the environmentally sound management of chemicals and waste, including the use of integrated lifecycle, value chains and sustainable chemistry".

In addition, the meeting adopted a Resolution on the 'environment and health', which is a call to action on harmful chemicals. In particular it urges:

UN member countries and regions to intensify efforts to achieve the 2020 goal for the environmentally sound management of chemicals and waste throughout their lifecycle;

countries signed up to the Basel, Minamata, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions to implement them and invites those that have not to consider doing so; and

encourages governments and relevant actors to develop, adopt and implement effective measures, national legislation/regulations aimed at minimising the risks posed by chemicals, including heavy metals, endocrine disruptors or pesticides, in particular to pregnant women, infants and children.

In preparation for the meeting, UN Environment executive director, Erik Solheim, set out his vision to tackle the rise in global pollution in a report, which outlines measures to address, what he calls a "hard-hitting target", hazardous chemicals.

Accelerating chemicals management

On the first day of the meeting, a side event was held, which discussed ways of accelerating the sound management of chemicals and waste. On the panel, Friedrich Barth, managing director of the recently launched International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3), said that it would be a transformation of business models, and the support of small start-ups developing innovative chemicals and products, that will drive this.

"I'm not saying you don't need legislation and economic incentives but the new business models will be core to a more sustainable world," said Mr Barth.

He said that part of the ISC3 work will be to assess whether chemicals being developed by innovative start-up companies are "fully sustainable", taking into account all areas of environment, health and society. He added that this may evolve into a ranking of such businesses to highlight the best.

Agreeing, Rolph Payet, secretariat of the UN's Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, said: "We should be stimulating, as much as possible, start-up companies".

The relationship, he said, between the consumer and the private sector should also be further explored. "Many consumers are now very interested in chemicals in products found in their homes."

Women and pollution

Meanwhile, on day two of the event, a network of women ministers and leaders for the environment met to discuss and develop measures that tackle the impact pollution has on different genders. The members and partners made recommendations on how to implement action over the next two years.

Outlining the outcomes of the session, Carole Dieschbourg, Luxembourg's minister for the environment said that one of the recommendations is to improve access to information related to gender and chemical safety, and support studies with "gender disaggregated data" on exposure and impacts of chemicals on different groups of women and men.

"There is a need to develop data on inaction to increase political will to take action," she said.

The network also suggested support on "quick-win pollution prevention efforts", such as phasing out single-use plastic and eliminating harmful chemicals from products, particularly personal hygiene products.

In line with this, a global partnership on women, chemical safety and sustainable development, run by the Swedish government, Unep and the NGO Ipen is being established.

It was agreed that Unea-4 will be held again in Nairobi in March 2019.