The publications on this page offer information about chemicals and waste. Please click on the titles to access the publications, and note that many of them are available in multiple languages.
UNEA-4 Agreement Does Not Deliver at Scale and Urgency Needed
Friday, 15 March 2019
Nairobi, Kenya – At the 4thsession of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-4), member states of the UN Environment Programme failed to meet expectations to confront the ever-growing plastic-pollution crisis threatening our waterways, ecosystems, and health.
At UNEA-4, member states considered several resolutions designed to increase international action to halt plastic pollution. The first, proposed by Norway, Japan, and Sri Lanka, sought to strengthen international cooperation and coordination on marine plastic litter and microplastics, including through considering a possible new legally binding agreement. The second, proposed by India, sought to promote the phase-out single-use plastics worldwide.
From March 11-15, IPEN participated in the fourth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA4) in Nairobi, Kenya from March 11th-15th. The meeting addressed the theme, 'Innovative Solutions for Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Consuption and Production."
For information about IPEN's activities, and for resources related to topics covered, click HERE.
With six other health and environment groups, IPEN has written a letter to European Environment Ministers and members of the EU Parliament and Commission to express concerns about toxic recycling. In the letter, the NGOs call on them to adopt strict and protective limits for PBDEs in articles and waste into the POPs Regulation, so that the EU will comply with its obligations stemming from the Stockholm Convention.
This letter addresses the European Parliament and Council decision on the reform of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that was announced in late February. Hailed as protective for health, the decision will actually cause more children to be exposed to hazardous flame-retardant chemicals associated with thyroid disruption and neurological deficits. The decision permits high levels of hazardous brominated flame retardants (PBDEs) that are in electronics waste, including those already banned by the Stockholm Convention, to be allowed in recycled plastics.
This report relates to Sustainable Development Goals 2, 3, 6, 8, 12, 13, 14 and 15.
Special thanks to IPEN's Latin America & the Caribbean Regional Coordinator Fernando Bejarano and Regional Hub RAPAM for their important contributions to the development and finalization of the project.
This report relates to Sustainable Development Goals 2, 3, 6, 8, 12, 13, 14 and 15.
Special thanks to IPEN's Latin America & the Caribbean Regional Coordinator Fernando Bejarano and Regional Hub RAPAM for their important contributions to the development and finalization of the project.