A new report published today by a global network of researchers, including Professor Alex Ford is aiming to help provide solutions to tackle the issue of chemical waste and pollution. In this blog, Professor Ford discusses the approach they are taking.
We are facing a triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Global actions in these priority areas are coordinated by intergovernmental science-policy panels (SPPs), such as the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
The panels bring together experts from across the globe to advise government representatives on the “state of the science” and provide solution oriented approaches to global issues. No SPP currently exists for tackling chemicals, waste and pollution which is the third pillar in the triple planetary crisis.
Discussions and international negotiations are currently taking place on scope of the SPP for tackling pollution, which is harming both human and ecosystem health. An international group of scientists, including myself, from the International Panel on Chemical Pollution (IPCP) have been actively involved in the discussions and have produced a timely report prior to the next round of international negotiations this month in Geneva, Switzerland.
One of the issues the new intergovernmental panel will have to deal with is the enormous number of potential polluting chemicals used by society and which ones to prioritise.
How global governments prioritise these issues and the approach taken will likely need to be different in different parts of the world. For example, the resources, knowledge and technologies available to resolve and mitigate pollution issues will vary between high, middle and low income countries.
The SPP will have the ability to conduct independent, robust and authoritative assessments that explore effective solutions to the challenges confronting us today and in the future, with the potential to reduce impacts to people and ecosystems.
Within our ‘Exploring Outputs of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste, and Pollution Prevention’ report, we suggest that the SPP should “conduct both retrospective and prospective assessments that are integrative and comprehensive, holistically consider root causes, barriers and enabling elements, intended and unintended consequences, and that build on previous lessons learned to develop policy-relevant, solutions-oriented assessments”.
One of the issues the new intergovernmental panel will have to deal with is the enormous number of potential polluting chemicals used by society and which ones to prioritise.
How global governments prioritise these issues and the approach taken will likely need to be different in different parts of the world. For example, the resources, knowledge and technologies available to resolve and mitigate pollution issues will vary between high, middle and low income countries.
The SPP will have the ability to conduct independent, robust and authoritative assessments that explore effective solutions to the challenges confronting us today and in the future, with the potential to reduce impacts to people and ecosystems.
We provide two examples, which are retrospective and prospective in their outlook. The first example is retrospective, concerning pollution from pharmaceuticals that threaten biodiversity, ecosystem services and public health globally, especially in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). The second is prospective and considers potential releases of chemicals and waste from technological infrastructure (e.g., hospitals, transportation hubs) and landfills located in coastal zones threatened by climate induced sea level rise and extreme weather events.
These two examples are highly relevant locally as well as internationally. The Solent region, despite its many protected statuses for the conservation of its wildlife and habitats is currently impacted by huge amounts of pharmaceutical pollution through its sewage discharges. The low lying regions of the south coast are also home to many historic landfills containing highly toxic materials we banned decades ago. Sea level rises mean these landfills are at risk of releasing their toxic legacy.
The report’s lead author, Professor Miriam Diamond, said: “This new science-policy panel holds the opportunity to develop innovative and pragmatic pathways to tackle regional to global issues that currently threaten the health and safety of people and ecosystems, and to avert issues before they cause great harm.”
Working alongside international scientists from the IPCP, we recently highlighted the conflicts of interest by industry and governments that can try to stymy increased regulation through these agreements and highlighted the need for strong “conflicts of interest” policies.
We hope the panel offers the ambition and mechanisms for enabling much-needed assessments explicitly framed as inputs to policy-making, to protect, and support the recovery of, local to global human and environmental health.
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