Clean Production Action (CPA) will advocate for the need to reduce chemical footprints by 2030 at the upcoming United Nations’ International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5) in - Bonn, Germany, 25 - 29 September 2023. Over twenty years ago, leaders from around the world united under the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to set objectives aimed at reducing the harmful effects of chemicals on both human health and the environment by 2020. But this goal was not met. Instead, chemical… …
The recent INC2 negotiations on a global plastic treaty have focused attention on the entire life cycle of plastics — from plastics’ fossil fuel origins and toxic additives to plastic waste’s persistence in the environment. Recycling, along with reducing production and consumption, has been a key focus of the talks. A less prominent theme has been the need for innovation in green chemistry solutions for plastics. The toxic hazards along the life cycle of most… …
The true cost of toxic chemical substances is not captured by a GDP-driven economy
In many instances chemicals have been a boon for human health, productivity, and economic growth. But increasingly their heavy usage has begun to threaten the health of people and the planet. Indeed, the threat of chemical pollution now stands on a par with climate change and biodiversity loss as one of our greatest challenges. But the worst may be yet to come. The production of chemicals is predicted to only increase in the coming decades, as the world’s population keeps growing. As the… …
Investors commend corporations for reducing business risk by eliminating over 37 million kilograms of toxic chemicals from products, and call on more companies to adopt best practice and join the 2023 Chemical Footprint Survey
Recent scientific studies make clear that we are reaching a tipping point on chemical pollution and taking “urgent action” is necessary [1]. According to the Chemical Footprint Project (CFP) report, “chemical pollution is one of the three planetary crises confronting humanity along with climate change and biodiversity loss”. Continued dependency on chemicals known to cause harm to human health and the environment exacerbate climate change, biodiversity loss and… …
Disney and Costco’s COC commitments have the potential to make meaningful positive impacts on adult and children’s health and the environment… their efforts to engage suppliers on eliminating COCs and moving toward safer alternatives can lead to reductions of some of the most problematic COCs. In August [2022], Trillium and co-filers Mercy Investment Services and Newground Social Investment filed a shareholder proposal at Costco asking the company to report on the outcomes of… …
SOMERVILLE, Mass.: The Presbyterian Church (U.S.) and Trinity Health withdrew shareholder resolutions in response to Dollar General’s and Five Below’s commitments to expand and improve chemical safety programs. This comes at a time when retailers are under increasing regulatory pressure to remove toxic chemicals from consumer products. Since 2018, 38 states have adopted 257 policies to limit and in some cases ban chemicals in products ranging from baby bottles to personal care… …
White House office invites views on sustainable chemistry. Federal leadership could help provide market signals.
The White House wants help defining “sustainable chemistry” in an effort that industries, investors, and others say could make the fuzzy concept more actionable and useful as European laws increasingly demand sustainable products. The White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will officially publish on Monday a request for interested parties to offer views on their preferred definition for sustainable chemistry. Comments are due June 3. The lack of… …
Investors have filed resolutions with Five Below, Dollar General, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Kroger to expand and improve chemical safety programs. This comes at a time when regulatory risk and consumer concern are rising. Since 2000, more than 35 states have passed 173 policies that establish state chemicals programs to identify, limit, or ban the use of harmful chemicals in products, including tips for consumers. PFAS, “forever chemicals,” are a particular growing global concern… …
As solar energy experiences record growth, investors, customers, and regulators are increasingly asking for more disclosure and transparency on how solar supply chains are managed throughout product life cycles.
Renewable energy technologies fueled by wind and the sun are critical to addressing the climate crisis. However, many chemicals used in the production of solar and wind technologies are harmful to human health and the environment, scarce in supply, or sourced from countries that are unable to protect human rights. The notion of greening solar manufacturing isn’t new, but there is a renewed urgency surrounding it. This includes the reduction and management of chemicals of concern in PV… …
Chemicals have been important drivers of economic growth, but the cost of poor management and the long-term impacts of chemicals in use has been largely ignored. The costs associated with environmental chemical exposures worldwide likely exceeds 10% of global GDP or $11 trillion. 2 In the U.S., for example, poly and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), or forever chemicals, that scientists have linked to high cholesterol, thyroid diseases, and kidney and testicular cancers have cost cities and… …