"THE GLOBAL DEMAND FOR PESTICIDES AND INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS CONTINUES TO GROW, AND ACCESSIBILITY OF RELEVANT INFORMATION ON ASSOCIATED RISKS TO HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT REMAINS A CHALLENGE

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The global demand for pesticides and industrial chemicals continues to grow, and accessibility of relevant information on associated risks to human health and the environment remains a challenge. Inaccessibility of safe, appropriate, and affordable chemicals and non-chemical alternatives compounds these risks. The projected exponential chemical production is also increasingly shifting to the global South (UNEP’s Global Chemicals Outlook II), which is particularly vulnerable as there is a lack of adequate technology and infrastructure to detect, analyse, and monitor chemicals’ import, use, treatment, and disposal.

The various multilateral environmental agreements aimed at protecting the environment and human health are significantly far away from achieving such noble objectives. Sustainable chemicals management prioritises pollution prevention through intentional substitution of toxic input chemicals at the product design stage prior to chemical production and the reduction of toxic chemical releases throughout the life cycle and value chain. Furthermore, coupled with extended producer responsibility and internalising costs of pollution, such would lead to the achievement of the set objectives, including sustainable development goals

The Global Framework on Chemicals and Waste adopted at the fifth International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5) in September 2023 is also of relevance to achieving sustainable chemicals management, including the framework’s targets and timelines, provides a concrete global context to advance the sound management of chemicals and waste. The upcoming Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) in 2025 is pivotal for advancing the implementation of the Global Framework.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

To develop an action plan on sustainable chemicals management:

i.

To end double standards in hazardous chemical production, trade, and use

ii.

To improve access to safer, affordable, and adequate chemicals and non chemicals alternatives

iii.

To transition the chemicals industry towards sustainable production and operations

iv.

To improve chemicals value chain transparency and accountability

V.

To share best practices to detoxify and enable safe recycling and circular economy and increased environmental job creation in the chemicals and waste sector

VI.

To share best practices to reduce environmental pollution, land degradation, biodiversity loss, and disease burden.

"DESPITE ITS POTENTIAL, SEVERAL BARRIERS HINDER THE TRANSITION TO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY. THESE INCLUDE MISPRICED ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS, SUBSIDIES THAT PROMOTE OVERUSE OF NATURAL AND COORDINATION FAILURES ACROSS VALUE CHAINS, WHICH REQUIRE IMPROVED COLLABORATION AMONG THE BROADER RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENTS, AND CONSUMERS.

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circular economy is a regenerative system designed to minimise resource input, waste, emissions, and energy loss by promoting activities such as design for longevity, maintenance, repair, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and recycling. It aims to reduce the risks of resource depletion by managing the earth’s resource stocks and flows sustainably. A key policy challenge is creating regulations that encourage circular economy practices and incentivise business participation.

EPR encourages producers to design products with sustainability in mind, considering factors such as material selection, durability, reparability, and recyclability; however, “academic and policy reviews suggest that the influence of EPR on eco-design has been limited”. Ultimately, EPR aims to internalise the costs of environmental externalities within fashion companies, as a means of reflecting the true environmental costs of products in their prices. Producers and fashion brands bear financial and physical responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products through a “polluter pays principle”

EXPECTED OUTCOMES