International body, United Nations, inaugurates a scientific committee to provide guidance on chemical contamination; however, the panel's longevity remains questionable.
New International Panel Aims to Tackle Chemical Pollution and Waste
A new international scientific panel, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (ISPCWP), was established on June 20, 2025, by agreement among 107 nations in Punta del Este, Uruguay. The creation of the panel marks a historic step towards addressing environmental chemical and pollution challenges with authoritative science-policy guidance.
Scope and Purpose
The ISPCWP aims to provide sound, evidence-based scientific assessments to inform global policymaking on chemicals, waste, and pollution prevention. Its purpose parallels that of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), but focused specifically on the risks from chemicals and waste, which currently lack a global science-policy body.
The panel will address challenges like uncertainty about chemical risks, disproportionate impacts on communities, and the complex nature of waste including hazardous materials in products like electronics and batteries.
Mechanisms for Selecting Members and Activity
Many details on how the panel will operate remain undecided and are deferred to the panel itself. Key questions such as who selects assessments, the types of expertise required, and member selection processes are pending final decisions by the panel.
Funding
There is no explicit information about the funding mechanism of the ISPCWP. However, given parallels to bodies like the IPCC and the apparent close relation to UN Environment Programme activities, it is likely to be supported through international contributions, possibly coordinated through UN environmental governance frameworks. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is actively investing in pollution-related solutions, including plastics, and stands ready to support related implementation efforts, which may tie into this panel’s activities, but direct funding links to ISPCWP are not confirmed.
Controversies and Oppositions
The negotiations for the panel became increasingly heated as the 2024 deadline approached, with some countries advocating for a narrow focus on air pollution and avoiding discussion of ocean and soil contamination. Some countries, like Argentina, opposed any mention of the word 'gender' or acknowledgement of the gendered impacts of some forms of chemical pollution.
Several countries with deep ties to the petrochemical industry, such as the US, Russia, and some Middle Eastern countries, advocated for the panel's work to focus on air pollution and avoided discussion of ocean and soil contamination.
Looking Ahead
Environmental groups fear that the lack of clarity will delay action on an urgent problem. Independent observers expressed a sense of relief after four years of tense negotiations, but many questions remain unanswered. The ISPCWP's operational details, including member selection and financing, are still emerging and expected to develop further as the panel becomes active.
References:
- UN Environment Assembly establishes new science-policy panel on chemical pollution and waste
- A New Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals and Waste
- Global Environment Facility (GEF) Investments in Pollution-Related Solutions
- The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (ISPCWP) will focus on providing scientific assessments to aid global policymaking on the risks from chemicals and waste, similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
- Members of the ISPCWP will tackle challenges such as chemical risks, their disproportionate impacts on communities, and the complex nature of waste including hazardous materials in technological products like electronics and batteries.
- The mechanism for selecting members of the ISPCWP and the types of expertise required are still under consideration, with decisions pending from the panel.
- Funding for the ISPCWP is likely to come from international contributions, possibly coordinated through UN environmental governance frameworks, similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
- Tense negotiations led to disputes regarding the scope of the panel, with some countries advocating for a narrow focus on air pollution and avoiding discussion of ocean and soil contamination, while others opposed any mention of gender or the gendered impacts of chemical pollution.
- Several countries with petrochemical industry ties, such as the US, Russia, and Middle Eastern countries, advocated for the panel's work to focus on air pollution, avoiding discussions of ocean and soil contamination.
- Environmental groups have expressed concerns that a lack of clarity in the ISPCWP's operational details may delay action on an urgent problem, while independent observers feel relief after four years of tense negotiations.
