Global Best Practices on Emerging Chemical Policy Issues of Concern under SAICM
Towards safer products for our environment and health
Global environmental problems
Global contaminants such as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) or mercury are regulated by Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), namely the Stockholm and Minamata Conventions respectively. A number of additional ‘Emerging Policy Issues’ (EPIs) have been nominated for voluntary, cooperative risk reduction actions by countries through the Strategic Approach for International Chemicals Management (SAICM). These EPIs are:
The SAICM GEF 9771 project focuses on two EPIs: Lead in paint and Chemicals in products, which generate particular environmental and health challenges. The project also addresses the need for knowledge management, information exchange and strategic planning to ensure concerted and coordinated action on all EPIs.
The project objective is to accelerate adoption of national and value chain initiatives to control Emerging Policy Issues (EPIs), and contribute to the 2020 SAICM goal and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The project focuses on 3 components:
1. Lead in paint: Working with governments to develop laws that restrict the use of lead paint and working with SMEs to promote the phase-out of lead additives.
2. Chemicals in products: Increasing the ambition of different stakeholders to track and control chemicals of concern in products along the value chains of electronics, toys and building products sectors.
3. Knowledge and stakeholder engagement: improving access to information and knowledge on chemicals management amongst SAICM stakeholders.
*Map tooltip indicates 6 stages of drafting lead in paint laws: #1 No progress; #2 Government interest; #3 First steps taken; #4 Early stages of drafting; #5 Final stages of drafting, and #6 Final lead paint law.
Component 1: Lead in paint
The lead in paint component promotes regulatory and voluntary action by government and industry to phase out lead in paint.
Key targets already achieved on lead in paint:
15 new countries have adopted legislation to establish legal limits to Lead in Paint
14 paint manufacturers have completed paint reformulation demonstration projects to produce lead-free paint
90 registered awareness-raising events at the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW) 2020
Outcome 1: At least 40 countries to legislate and implement legislation to restrict the use of lead in paint.
The first project output will address the technical barriers in the manufacture of paints with no lead additives. The second project output will address the barrier on lack of capacities in developing countries to introduce and enforce lead paint limits. The main activity is advocacy with governments for policy development and assistance in drafting lead paint laws.
Outcome 1.1: Paint reformulation demonstrations with paint manufacturers in Small and Medium Sized enterprises (SMEs) executed in seven countries.
- National baseline/Market Analysis with all existing information on lead in paint in seven project countries where paint reformulation demonstrations are being executed: China, Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Jordan, Nigeria and Peru
- Technical Guidelines on Paint Reformulation (Draft) for the substitution of lead compounds in paints with focus on SMEs needs for the effective and efficient reformulation of paint.
- Validation Workshop on the Paint Reformulation Guidelines with SMEs participating in the paint reformulation demonstrations and using the paint reformulation technical guidelines
Output 1.2: Policy support and awareness raising generate support for lead phase out.
- Regional workshops to provide an overview of the Lead Paint Alliance, the recommended actions and available advice to support the establishment of lead paint laws
- Provision of technical assistance by the project execution partners to over 60 countries.
- Interactive visualization of the status of lead paint laws
Component 2: Chemicals in products
Component 2 on "life cycle management of chemicals present in products", focuses on chemicals of concern in three sectors (building products, electronics and toys) and how to minimize the adverse effects of chemicals of concern.
Key targets already achieved on chemicals in products:
Tools in development for governments and value chain actors to manage chemicals of concern in products
40 value chain and government actors trained on the use of new tools and guidance to manage chemicals of concern in products
Outcome 2: Governments and value chain actors in the building products, toys, and electronics sectors to track and manage chemicals of concern (CoC) in their products.
The component is developing new tools and guidance to reduce the use of chemicals of concern in the building products, electronics and toys sectors and provides training and support for government and value chain actors to trial and adopt new guidance and tools.
The component is guided by a value chain approach and the Component Summary Document provides an overview of the approach and the interventions in the three sectors.
Output 2.1: New tools and guidance to reduce the use of chemicals of concern (CoC) in the building, electronics and toys sectors.
Guidance/tools for building sector
- Report on chemicals of concern and potential alternatives in the building sector / Summary.
- Development of a USEtox-based model to assess chemicals in building products in the context of life cycle assessment (LCA).
- Global guidance for sustainable public procurement and for eco-innovation in the building products sector.
- Creation of a global guide for banks on setting up green mortgages.
Guidance/tools for electronics sector
- Global guidance for sustainable public procurement and for eco-innovation in the electronics sector.
- Report on regulatory approaches addressing CoC in electronics and policy recommendations.
- Regional studies (Latin America and the Caribbean, and Central and Eastern European regions) on life cycle management of electronics.
- Analysis on how ecolabels address the issue of CoC and recommendations for further harmonization and integration.
Guidance/tools for toys sector
- Toolkit to support regulation and compliance in the toy sector
- Report on regulations for chemicals in toys in China.
- Report reviewing toy safety policies and regulations in selected Low- and Medium-Income Countries (LMIC).
Output 2.2: Training and support for government and value chain actors to trial and adopt new guidance and tools.
- Training on USEtox model for companies of building products and toy sectors in Sri Lanka and China.
- Eco-innovation and/or Sustainable Public Procurement pilot projects in Colombia and Sri Lanka.
- Sustainable finance pilot project in Sri Lanka.
- Training and consultations on regulatory and compliance approaches for toys and electronics sectors.
Additional documents
Project-sponsored events on Chemicals in Products:
- Workshop on Toys: “Virtual Expert Group”
- Workshop on Electronics: “Addressing the challenge of chemicals of concern, enabling circular electronics”
Component 3: Knowledge Management and stakeholder engagement
The third component explores ways to create, manage and disseminate knowledge on chemicals of concern.
Outcome 3: A broad group of SAICM stakeholders access information and participate in communities of practice for peer-to-peer learning exchanges.
This project component supports the development and dissemination of knowledge on chemicals of concern. The knowledge platform saicmknowledge.org is a key tool developed within this component.
Key targets already achieved on knowledge management and stakeholder engagement:
Over 400 scientific and policy knowledge resources shared with policy members on EPIs and SDGs through the new SAICM Knowledge platform
More than 800 active members registered in the new SAICM communities of practice
Output 3.1: Collaboration and engagement with the SDG agenda and scientific community to promote Emerging Policy Issues (EPIs).
• Production of publications on chemicals-related topics:
Policy briefs on chemicals and SDGs
- Gender and the sound management of chemicals and waste
- Understanding Chemicals in Products
- Plastics and chemicals of concern in consumer products
- Eliminating Lead Paint: The role of the Paint Industry
- A review of PFAS as a Chemical Class in the Textile Sector
Thematic papers
- Global elimination of lead paint – why and how countries should take action Technical brief and policy brief published by WHO
- Brief guide to analytical methods for measuring lead in paint – Second edition
- Brief guide to analytical methods for measuring lead in blood - Second edition
- Chemicals of concern in building materials: A high-throughput screening
- Chemicals of concern in plastic toys
- Estimating mouthing exposure to chemicals in children’s products
- Exposure and Toxicity Characterization of Chemical Emissions and Chemicals in Products: Global Recommendations and Implementation in USEtox
- Case studies on the implementation of the WHO Chemicals roadmap
• Presentations on SAICM at scientific community events and related policy events.
• Convening of side-events to raise awareness on emerging policy issues.
Output 3.2: Development of a Knowledge Management platform provides a repository of information and forum for exchange of scientific and policy information.
- A SAICM Knowledge Management Strategy.
- The development of a new dynamic platform to facilitate knowledge sharing on the sound management of chemicals and waste – saicmknowledge.org
- Establishment of four Communities of Practice to enable dialogues amongst SAICM stakeholders on relevant chemical issues.
Stakeholders
The project involves the following groups of stakeholders for a successful implementation:
-
The Link between Climate Change and Chemical Accidents
The Secretariat of the Strategic Approach to Chemicals Management (SAICM) and the University of Cape Town (UCT) have launched a Community of Practice (CoP) on Chemicals and SDGs to bring representatives from different sectors together and to create a learning network around issues related to addressing Chemicals and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is a summary of the discussion on The Link between Climate Change and Chemical Accidents, which took place on 20 April 2022. Read More -
Cross-sectoral global minimum transparency standard for hazardous chemicals in products - an essential tool to detoxify material cycles
The SAICM Secretariat, in partnership with the University of Cape Town, established a community of practice on Chemicals in Products to bring representatives from different sectors together and to create a learning network around issues related to addressing Chemicals in Products (CiP). This is a summary of the discussion on Cross-sectoral global minimum transparency standard for hazardous chemicals in products - an essential tool to detoxify material cycles, which took place on 17 March 2022. Read More -
Public Consultation: Lead Paint Law Compliance and Enforcement Guidance
Under the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint, the United Nations Environment Programme has developed draft Lead Paint Law Compliance and Read More -
Lead Paint Testing: Case Studies of Impact
The Secretariat of the Strategic Approach to Chemicals Management (SAICM) and the University of Cape Town (UCT) have established a Community of Practice (CoP) on Lead in Paint to bring representatives from different sectors together and to create a learning network around issues related to the elimination of Lead Paint. This is a summary of the discussion on Lead Paint Testing: Case Studies of Impact, which took place on 9 March 2022. Read More -
Community of Practice on Lead in Paint - 2021 Digest Compliation
The Secretariat of the Strategic Approach to Chemicals Management (SAICM) and the University of Cape Town (UCT) have established a Community Read More -
Community of Practice on Chemicals in Products - 2021 Digest Compliation
The SAICM Secretariat, in partnership with the University of Cape Town, established a Community of Practice (CoP) on Chemicals in Products to bring Read More -
Community of Practice on Highly Hazardous Pesticides - 2021 Digest Compliation
The Secretariat of the Strategic Approach to Chemicals Management (SAICM) and the University of Cape Town (UCT) have established a Community Read More -
Community of Practice on Chemicals and SDGs - 2021 Digest Compliation
The Secretariat of the Strategic Approach to Chemicals Management (SAICM) and the University of Cape Town (UCT) have launched a Community of Read More -
Is there lead in my paint? All about testing and labs
The Secretariat of the Strategic Approach to Chemicals Management (SAICM) and the University of Cape Town (UCT) have established a Community of Practice (CoP) on Lead in Paint to bring representatives from different sectors together and to create a learning network around issues related to the elimination of Lead Paint. This is a summary of the discussion on Is there lead in my paint? All about testing and labs, which took place on 8 December 2021. Read More -
Addressing the Issue of Chemicals of Concern in Electronics: Challenges and recommendations for labelling initiatives
Chemicals provide a variety of specific functions in electric and electronic products or in their manufacturing process. However, some of these Read More
- 1 of 20
- next ›