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Last month, representatives from more than 40 countries have established the new scientific-political intergovernmental panel on chemicals, waste and pollution (ISP-CWP), considered a historic milestone for global environmental governance. The approval took place during a meeting of the Special Open Composition Working Group (OEWG) in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
The panel will provide independent and relevant scientific counseling for chemical policies, waste and pollution prevention. It also aims to reduce the gap between science and politics, equipping governments - especially in developing countries - with the evidence, and the necessary tools to take effective and specific measures for each context.
Brazil, with the performance and representativeness of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA), played an active role in negotiations, defending an inclusive panel, sensitive to regional realities and aligned with multilateral commitments. It stood out in promoting the principle of consensus as a decision criterion, reinforcing that scientific decisions impacting national public policies should reflect the agreement of all states. The performance of the portfolio took place together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) and National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa).
According to the National Secretary of Urban Environment, Water Resources and Environmental Quality of MMA, Adalberto Maluf, multilateral dialogue is essential to advance in sustainable and safe policies in the management of chemicals, aligning environmental protection, public health and development.
The decision represents a significant advance in the fight against pollution and the promotion of environmentally appropriate management of chemicals and waste. The new panel will aim to provide independent and relevant scientific advice to public policies, supporting countries in the formulation of more effective, based on evidence, to prevent pollution and reduce the negative impacts of these agents on human health and the environment, said Adalberto Maluf.
OEWG is an intergovernmental group established by the United Nations Environment (UNEP) Assembly in 2022, with the aim of creating a scientific panel on chemicals, waste and pollution.
ISP-CWP adds to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), with the mandate of strengthening the scientific and technical basis for the rational management of chemicals and waste, as well as for pollution prevention. Its creation meets the growing demand for scientific mechanisms to support multilateral environmental decisions.
The negotiations began in 2022, after the United Nations Assembly Resolution (Unea), which requested the creation of an intergovernmental organ of scientific policy on chemicals, waste and pollution prevention.
Numbers
According to UNEP forecast, urban solid waste generation is expected to grow from 2.1 billion tons by 2023 to 3.8 billion tons by 2050. By 2020, the direct cost of waste management was estimated at US 252 billion. Air pollution alone is associated with about 6.5 million deaths annually, and deaths from modern forms of pollution have increased by 66% over the past two decades.
UNEP Executive Director Ingersen, expressed that the panel represents the union of science and cooperation to minimize the negative impacts of chemicals and waste and prevent pollution. This is the first step in implementing significant actions to face our global waste and pollution crisis and ensure a healthier and safer future for all, he said.
Future step
The next step is the preparation for the panels first plenary session, in which governments will discuss and adopt their initial work program, priorities and partner engagement, among other issues.
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