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Chemicals & Wastes

When used improperly or disposed of unsafely, chemicals pose significant risks for both the environment and human health. Toxic chemicals are found in all ecosystems on Earth, including Antarctica and the most remote seas, affecting biodiversity, agricultural production, water quality, and human health. Over 100 million man-made chemicals and chemical formulations are used in every sector of the industrial economy. Many chemicals, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury, travel over large distances through air, water currents, and in migratory species. Some POPs can remain in the human body for more than 50 years. Mercury, an element, is infinitely persistent. While chemicals and waste are major contributors to world economies, their sound management is essential to avoiding risks to human health and ecosystems and substantial costs to national economies.

Events and Articles

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Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal

The 1989 Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal is an international treaty between 190 countries on the management, disposal, and transboundary movements of hazardous wastes produced worldwide. It is the oldest of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions, which together tackle the life cycle of global chemicals and waste management. Brief by Pamela Chasek, PhD
Article

The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade

The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade is a global treaty that provides early warning to countries about a broad range of hazardous chemicals that are traded internationally to protect human health and the environment. The information shared under the Convention, including whether a hazardous chemical is banned or severely restricted in other countries, enables governments to assess the risks posed by these chemicals and to make informed decisions on their import.  Brief by Pamela Chasek, PhD
Article

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods, become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans and wildlife, and have harmful impacts on human health and the environment. Brief by Pamela Chasek, PhD
Article

68th Meeting of the GEF Council

The nearly USD 700 million Work Program approved focuses heavily on chemicals and waste at a time when the GEF hopes to prove to the multilateral community it has the capacity to serve as the financial mechanism for a global plastics treaty and that it could play a significant role in realizing the vision of the Global Framework on Chemicals.
Event 16 December 2024 - 20 December 2024

Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer

When scientists discovered a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica in 1985, the world was struck with fear. Reaction was swift. Public health experts immediately warned that rising intensity of ultraviolet (UV) radiation may greatly increase the incidence of skin cancer and cataracts as well as significantly damage global crops and the marine food chain.
Article

20th Meeting of the Chemical Review Committee (CRC-20)

The CRC reviewed a record 35 notifications of final regulatory action, as well as four proposals for listing severely hazardous pesticide formulations. The Committee adopted draft decision guidance documents for chlorpyrifos and mercury, and agreed that notifications on chlorpyrifos-methyl and paraquat meet the criteria to be listed in the Rotterdam Convention. The CRC will continue reviewing notifications on nine substances and three severely hazardous pesticide formulations at its next meeting.
Event 17 September 2024 - 20 September 2024

14th Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Basel Convention

To prepare for the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties, delegates grappled with challenges in regulating the movement of transboundary waste. This requires a common understanding of what counts as waste as definitions continue to change as technology advances.
Event 25 June 2024 - 28 June 2024