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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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68th Meeting of the GEF Council

The 32-member Council will consider a new work program under the GEF’s eighth replenishment cycle (GEF-8) totaling over USD 550 million, which is expected to generate over USD 4 billion in co-financing for projects benefitting people and the planet.
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

67th Meeting of the GEF Council

Council concluded deliberations on a heavy agenda, confirming key decisions taken throughout the four days of meetings including the first ever work program for the newly established GBFF, and the largest ever LDCF work program.
Event 17 June 2024 - 20 June 2024

4th Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to Develop an International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution, Including in the Marine Environment (INC-4)

While the plastic pollution negotiations started with lofty ambitions, it has become clear that a strong treaty is in no way guaranteed. With one more scheduled meeting left, some delegates left Ottawa wondering if they still had time to reach agreement to stem the tide of plastic pollution.
Event 23 April 2024 - 29 April 2024