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Chemicals and materials policy deals with both the risks and the opportunities of chemicals as well as with the volume of material flows from raw material extraction to waste. As with the policy areas of climate and biodiversity, there is a need for a global transformation in chemicals and materials policy with a strong focus on the guiding principles of precaution and sustainability. The boundaries of our planet must no longer be exceeded.The impacts of chemicals and materials are closely

The integrated approach to financing the sound management of chemicals and waste was proposed to the Governing Council of UNEP, at its twenty-seventh session in 2013, by the Executive Director of UNEP, in his report on the consultative process on financing options for chemicals and wastes.Industry involvement is one of the three pillars of the integrated approach, along with the mainstreaming of the sound management of chemicals and wastes into development planning and dedicated external financing, and it is central

The Summary for Policymakers - Environmental Dimensions of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) launched on the sidelines of UNEA 5.2 taking place from 28 February to 4 March 2022.The report calls to strengthen environmental action within the ‘One Health’ response to AMR, looks at the pollutants that exacerbate AMR in the environment, where they come from, and provides an overview of the environmental action required.

The State of Sustainability Research for Chemicals of Concern identifies the impacts of chemicals of concern within and for the manufacturing of ICT products on human health and the environment and illustrates the need to shift to safer, more sustainable substances in electronics. The research identifies strategies to reduce chemicals of concern through understanding the chemical used within products and processes, determining the health impacts of chemicals, preventing the use of known toxic chemicals, and identifying safer alternatives. Finally, this

Chemicals provide a variety of specific functions in electric and electronic products or in their manufacturing process. However, some of these chemicals are hazardous and can cause concern related to their potential for adverse impacts on human health and the environment. Such impacts can occur throughout the product’s life cycle, including raw material extraction, processing and manufacturing, but also during product use or at end-of-life. However, decisions influencing product ingredients are usually taken at upstream stages of the value chain

PFAS are non-aromatic, organic chemicals in which the hydrogen atoms in the carbon chain are fully replaced (“per”) or partly but almost entirely replaced (“poly”) by fluorine atoms. At least 4,700 substances belong to this group of substances. All these chemicals have in common that their environmental degradability is fairly slow and very limited and therefore remain resistant for years to decades.PFAS are “forever chemicals.” Even when being incinerated for disposal, very high temperatures are required for these compounds to

This report provides an overview of the current state of circularity in the electronics value chain in Africa, identifies key areas of concern, provides appropriate recommendations, and proposes priority actions to improve circularity of the sector.The recommendations focus on the individual life cycle stages of the electronics value chain, as well as on aspects that cut across the value chain. The transition towards a more circular electronics sector in Africa would require a holistic, coordinated approach bridging five key areas

Chemicals used in building materials can be a major passive emission source indoors, associated with the deterioration of indoor environmental quality. This study aims to screen the various chemicals used in building materials for potential near-field human exposures and related health risks, identifying chemicals and products of concern to inform risk reduction efforts. We propose a mass balance-based and high-throughput suited model for predicting chemical emissions from building materials considering indoor sorption. Using this model, we performed a screening-level human