Synthetic (manufactured) chemicals are a part of everyday life – they are everywhere and in everything. They can enter the environment through consumer use or industrial processes. Once in the environment, some end up in our bodies, in wild flora and fauna, or in the atmosphere, potentially driving climate change.
Chemicals production and consumption is set to double by 2030, from a $5 trillion industry globally in 2017, with production set to increase, mainly in emerging economies. If chemicals production is doubled, chemical pollution must not double as a consequence – rather we should aim to significantly reduce it from current levels.
Current international attempts at the massive undertaking of addressing chemical pollution are not working. For the world to solve the major environmental and health challenges we face, there must be a sustainable chemicals revolution. We can only achieve this through senior-level engagement with the chemical sciences community through an authoritative, intergovernmental science-policy interface.
Early in 2020, we engaged with scientists in our community to develop our vision for a chemicals strategy, relevant to any nation in principle. We identified four pillars on which any chemicals strategy has to be based: education, innovation, circular economy and regulation. National governments must invest in these areas and create a responsible framework of action for chemicals management.
We are continuing to engage in UK, EU and international chemicals policy to enable a sustainable chemicals revolution.
The UK context for a new chemicals framework
From 1 January 2021, the UK must now take decisions on how chemicals will be managed, noting that Northern Ireland, under the NI protocol continues to operate under EU law. Building on our initial vision for chemicals strategy, we have drafted a document outlining the drivers and scope for a new UK-wide chemicals framework.
One of the key areas of the chemicals strategy is the implementation of a UK REACH regulation applicable within Great Britain. Firstly, the government have prioritised a risk management options analysis (RMOA) of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as part of the first phase of restriction work under UK REACH. We are bringing our community’s perspective and scientific evidence on PFAS to the relevant forums as the policy work progresses.
Chemicals strategy - four pillars
Download the full policy position where we present our vision statements for each pillar of a future chemicals strategy on a 2030 horizon.
Enablers
- Research and new knowledge
- Data
- Evidence
- Digital
Resources
- Funding
- Skills and workforce
- Infrastructure
Governance
- An efficient and accountable decision-making framework
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs)
Per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are widely used chemicals containing the perfluorocarbon moiety. They are known for their unique water, oil, heat, stain, as well as grease repellent properties. PFASs are used in various products such as fire-fighting foam, protective clothing, furniture, adhesives, food packaging, heat-resistant non-stick cooking surfaces, and insulation of electrical wires.
The carbon-fluoride bond is one of the strongest in nature, making these substances highly persistent and bio-accumulative. PFASs can contaminate soil and drinking water sources and have been found in rivers and lakes. Combined with their widespread use and increasing evidence of toxicity, concerns are being raised about their impact on human health and the environment.
The Madrid Statement, was signed in 2015, by scientists from around the world calling on scientists, governments, manufacturers, and consumers to take actions to limit PFAS production and use.
The Stockholm Convention has recently classified certain PFASs under Annex A, meaning all signatories must eliminate their use. Exemptions are made for semiconductor manufacturing, protective industrial clothing, medical devices, and some fire-fighting devices.
European Union's Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (EU REACH) has classified PFAS into a single group encompassing approximately 4700 substances. Planned EU REACH revision aims to create "Essential Use concept", for the broad restriction of PFAS.
Following from the United Kingdom's exit from the EU, GB REACH was created to develop the UK's future chemicals regulatory framework. Northern Ireland is excluded from the framework based on the Northern Ireland protocol of the Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
We believe that the chemical sciences are making an important contribution. We have developed our initial policy position on risk-based regulation for PFAS, including our proposal of a 'traffic light' approach to prioritisation, and you can download that below:
The RSC held an introductory workshop ‘Solving the challenges of PFAS’ in March 2020. The workshop illustrated how our four pillars for a sustainable chemicals strategy can be applied to this example:
- Education: the use of the precautionary principle, the risk & impact principle and essentiality criteria as a societal basis for policy-making
- Regulation: grouping of PFAS to facilitate efficient regulation
- Innovation: (i) remediation technologies for addressing legacy PFAS contamination (ii) PFAS substitution in products – opportunities, challenges and unintended consequences
- Circular Economy: issues with PFAS in product recycling and waste – is a circular economy approach feasible for PFAS?
Our events on PFAS are being chaired by Dr David Megson of Manchester Metropolitan University. Speakers at the March workshop have made their presentations available to download below:
European Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability
In line with the European Green Deal, the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability strives for a toxic-free environment, where chemicals are produced and used in a way that maximises their contribution to society, while avoiding harm to the planet and to current and future generations. This will be achieved by simplifying the fragmented EU chemicals regulatory system and revision of REACH regulations. The European Commission published a chemicals strategy for sustainability in October 2020 outlining an extensive agenda.
The Commission aims to extend its generic approach to risk management to ensure that consumer products do not contain chemicals that cause cancers, gene mutations, affect the reproductive or the endocrine system, or are persistent and bio-accumulative (such as PFAS). The chemicals strategy explores the possibility of shifting from traditional production and use of chemicals to "chemicals as a service". Chemical risk assessments will also take into account the cocktail effect of chemical mixtures, group persistent chemicals for their phasing out and regulation, and properly define the criteria for essential uses of these chemicals across EU legislation.
The Commission aims to boost use of digital tools and establish a research and innovation agenda, to ensure a coordinated exchange of information on enforcement of chemical legislation and harmonised EU-wide response. The strategy intends to move towards toxic-free material cycles and clean recycling to ensure that substances of concern in products and recycled materials are minimised.
The EU also aims to step up its international advocacy to meet the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through international cooperation and promoting its high standards by not exporting chemicals banned in the EU.
Recently, the EU has established a high-level round table and EUCheMS is a member of this group. As members of EUCheMS, the RSC will collaborate with our EU partners to help ensure the best science feeds into the EC endeavour.
UN Strategic Approach for International Chemicals Management (SAICM)
In 2022, the RSC will participate in the discussions within UN SAICM about the establishment of a new science-policy interface for chemicals. The provision of scientific advice is currently a major gap in UN SAICM. We are calling for a new intergovernmental panel for chemicals and waste management on a par with the IPCC and IPBES. We have shared with the UN our policy position statement, which you can read here.
An independent Intergovernmental science-policy Platform for Chemicals and Waste Management would enable science-informed, multidisciplinary, global coordination and action on chemicals pollution, protecting our planet and saving millions of lives.
We urge the United Nations in 2022 to take this decisive step, supported by governments, industries, and chemical science organisations around the world. You can read the text of our declaration to the United Nations below, as well as a letter on the subject from RSC President Professor Tom Welton.
Declaration to the UN: a New Global Science Panel for Chemical PollutionLetter from Professor Tom Welton, RSC President
The RSC supports an UN Inter-governmental Science-Policy Platform
The International Panel on Chemical Pollution (IPCP) share our policy position on a new intergovernmental panel and have published this article, alongside a sign-on campaign page to express support for this position.
You can read their call for action here and sign-up to their campaign.
If you would like to get involved in the UN science-policy interface process, it is open to all interested and authoritative organisations. Further information can be found on the UN SAICM website within virtual working group 2 on ‘Governance and mechanisms to support implementation’. The UN report SAICM/IP.4/4 on ‘Assessment of options for strengthening the science-policy interface at the international level for the sound management of chemicals and waste’ can also be found on the UN SAICM website. This document explains all of the options on the table, and the RSC advocates for Option A.
