The United Nations has established a new international panel on chemical pollution and waste after three years of negotiations, with Belgium playing a crucial role, according to a press release from the Federal Science Policy Office (Belspo) on Tuesday.
In 2022, the UN called for the creation of a scientific panel to address pollution issues systematically. Nearly three years later, the Intergovernmental Science Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (ISP-CWP) has been launched. The panel aims to detect risks associated with chemicals early, develop preventive strategies, and evaluate solutions to environmental issues, Belspo announced. It also seeks to help harmonise international regulations so that countries can work together on common standards.
In Belgium, the panel is expected to strengthen the scientific basis for policies on chemicals and enhance the protection of both people and the environment. Belspo notes that Belgium is a global leader in chemical production and ranks first worldwide in the trade of chemical and plastic products per capita, with an annual turnover of €73.8 billion.
Belgium boasts a strong scientific and industrial foundation with internationally recognised expertise in sustainable chemistry, circular systems, and waste management. The country aims to maintain its leading role in the further development of the ISP-CWP by actively contributing to future reports, Belspo added. The government agency represents Belgium alongside the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO).
This new panel complements the work of the IPCC (climate) and the IPBES (biodiversity). It serves as a third pillar in addressing what the UN calls the “triple planetary crisis.”
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