Chemicals management
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| International chemicals policy affecting the situation in Europe |
| At the UN level, the commitment to sound management of chemicals was renewed in an action plan on chemicals, agreed by Heads of State at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2002. |
This plan - welcomed by the global Chemical Industry - provides that by 2020, chemicals be used and produced in ways that lead to minimisation of significant effects on human health and the environment based on sound risk assessment and risk management, following the precautionary approach.
Following this, two initiatives were developed in parallel by UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme): the Marrakech Process and the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM).
The Chemical Industry has always played a major role in meeting basic human needs and improving quality of life. At the same time, protecting human health and the environment is central to our commitment to Sustainable Development.
That commitment to Sustainable Development has resulted in a wide range of programmes and initiatives. For example, the Responsible Care® Global Charter, the Global Product Strategy, the Long Range Research Initiative and the HPV programme. These programmes and initiatives being global are managed by ICCA (International Council of Chemical Association) and at the European level through Cefic and it’s network of Companies and Associations.
Through these programmes and initiatives the Chemical Industry is contributing to the SAICM objectives as well as to the goal of the Marrakech process to achieve Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP).
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Cefic contact: Sunanda Banerjee
