Groups Cite Urgency of Putting Global Framework on Chemicals Into Action

To mark the first anniversary of the Global Framework on Chemicals – For a Planet Free of Harm from Chemicals and Waste, or GFC, environmental health groups called on duty-bearers, governments and intergovernmental organizations in particular, to hasten the development of  GFC’s  implementation guidelines and plans, and to ensure adequate funding to get the policy framework rolling at all levels.

Adopted on September 30, 2023 at the conclusion of the fifth International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5) in Bonn, Germany, the GFC aims to “to prevent or, where prevention is not feasible, minimize harm from chemicals and waste to protect the environment and human health, including that of vulnerable groups and workers.”

Among 28 targets, the GFC advocates for preventing the illegal trade and traffic of chemicals and waste by 2030, and the phase-out of highly hazardous pesticides in agriculture by 2035. It also calls for transitioning to safer alternatives and sustainable approaches  in various sectors, including agriculture, industry, and healthcare, and in enhancing transparency of and access to information regarding chemicals in materials and products and their associated risks.

In a joint press statement, the EcoWaste Coalition, the International Pollutants Elimination Network – Southeast and East Asia (IPEN-SEA) and Health Care Without Harm – Asia (HCWH-Asia) emphasized the urgency to get the GFC moving amid the pressing triple planetary crisis of climate emergency, nature and biodiversity loss, and pervasive pollution.

While not a legally binding global treaty, the GFC represents a significant consensus among stakeholders — duty-bearers and rights-holders alike — to work together to realize the  envisaged “planet free of harm from chemicals and waste for a safe, healthy and sustainable future.”  It is the sole  global framework with a mandate to broadly address harm from chemicals and waste, especially for populations in vulnerable conditions.

“While recognizing the efforts of governments and other players in addressing chemical and waste issues, there is no question about the tremendous work needed to accomplish the objectives of the GFC and make the people and the planet safe from the health and ecological hazards caused by hazardous substances and wastes, including waste by-products,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“A lot will depend on how the GFC and its targets are actively pursued and supported, hence the need for robust and funded implementation guidelines and plans.”

An advocate of the people’s the right to know, the EcoWaste Coalition highlighted the need to fulfill the GFC target on chemical information transparency, which states that “by 2035, stakeholders generate data on the production of chemicals, including the use of chemicals in materials and products, in addition to data on emissions and releases of chemicals and waste to the environment, making these data available and publicly accessible.”

“The protection of public health and the attainment of the human right to a clean and healthy environment are at the very heart of the GFC,” said Chinkie Peliño-Golle, Regional Coordinator, IPEN-SEA.

“To make this happen, we call on the international implementing agencies and national governments to fast-track the development of implementation guidelines and plans, mobilize the essential funds, and enhance the capacity of regulatory agencies to carry out the GFC and its targets.”

“Also in line with the human right to know, we  call on stakeholders,  governments and industries in particular, to support the development and implementation of the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) policy and the establishment of a PRTR system in each country with commitment from the industry to make it up-to-date, transparent, and publicly accessible.

As defined by the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), “PRTR  is an open-access database of releases and transfers of harmful (and potentially harmful) chemicals to the environment,” including “releases to air, water and land, and waste transported to treatment and disposal sites.”

For her part, Dr. Michelle Reyes, Sustainability Officer at HCWH-Asia said: “Currently, the lack of information on chemicals hinders our move to safer alternatives. Transparency in chemical management is not just a regulatory necessity but a moral imperative.

Enforcing the Global Minimum Transparency Standard (GMTS) enables companies to disclose chemicals in their materials and products, ensuring stakeholders have access to information about toxic ingredients throughout the lifecycle of products. Accountability and knowledge empower action for a safer and healthier planet.”

Environmental health organizations and the broader civil society are already contributing to the implementation of the GFC, the groups said.

For example, global and local efforts addressing these issues of concern have benefited from the active engagement of the civil society: lead in paint, chemicals in products, endocrine disrupting chemicals, e-waste, perfluorinated chemicals, environmentally persistent pharmaceutical pollutants, and highly hazardous pesticides.

To signify  their continuing support for a healthy and toxics-free planet, the EcoWaste Coalition, IPEN-SEA and HCWH-AsIA have developed a primer to popularize and build support for the active and effective implementation of the GFC.  The primer, released in time for the GFC’s first anniversary, can  be accessed here:

https://www.ecowastecoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GFC-Primer.pdf