The role of NGOs in promoting sustainable consumption and production

1. The role of NGOs in promoting sustainable consumption and production Dr. Nadia Haiama-Neurohr Senior policy officer “2nd international expert meeting on 10-year framework of programmes for SCP” San Jose, Costa Rica - 05 September 2005

2. Greenpeace Priority Areas • International ENGO with offices in 4 countries and 2.8 million individual supporters • Climate change and renewable energy • Marine protection • Ancient forests and illegal logging • Genetically modified organisms • Toxic chemicals and products

3. Greenpeace vision and political objectives • Toxics-free future – clean production substitution re persistent, toxic technologies, products, materials, and wastes. • Precautionary Principle • Ban industrial waste dumping and incineration at sea • Ban hazardous waste exports to developing countries • Commitments to “eliminate”, not control releases • Global treaty for phasing out organohalogens

4. Some Achievements • Globalised Precautionary Principle (London Convention, Helsinki Convention, UNCED) • Commitments to “eliminate” (not control), (Bamako Convention, OSPAR ’92, Stockholm Convention) • Ocean dumping/incineration bans (Bamako, Waigani treaty) • Hazardous waste trade bans (Bamako, Barcelona Convention, Basel Convention, Central American agreement, and national bans) • Global chemical phase out treaty (Stockholm Convention and its key provisions)

5. What’s more dangerous? or

6. EU Chemicals Regulations • EU: largest chemical producer • Large data gaps • Continued use of dangerous chemicals • Penalises innovation

7. Chemicals & Toxicity Data

9. Health & Environmental Fate • ‘The widespread presence of small amounts of many chemicals… is causing increasing concern, because ... they may contribute to cancer, allergies, impacts on reproduction and the immune response system, and neurotoxic effects’.European Environment Agency

10. REACH in a Nutshell • Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation of Chemicals • Systematic approach to deal with chemicals • Manufacturers/importers should register chemicals • Member States should evaluate them • Commission should authorise the use of substances of ‘very high concern’

11. REACH Main Features • Reverse burden of proof • Extend responsibility for chemicals along the entire manufacturing chain • Create a knowledge base for chemicals • Target the most hazardous chemicals • Drive innovation

12. Potential REACH Benefits • Clean up costs of PCB in EU25: €15 billion (1971-2018) • Health benefits from reducing only 0.1% in the burden of disease: €50 billion (30 years)

13. Retailers and chemicals • “Bear a large financial burden” in trying to find out what’s in the preparations they use in their products. • “Without a trusted regulatory system, retailers have had to ‘self-regulate’ their use of chemicals.” • “the most cost-effective and the only adequate control measure should be substitution” H&M

14. Water companies and chemicals • Water companies warn that their waste water treatment facilities are not designed to deal with a broad range of substances, many of which occur in low concentrations. Removing these is “often very difficult and, even if possible, can be a very expensive and energy-consuming option.”

15. SCP Opportunities • Set up clear objectives, priorities, targets, timelines and monitoring systems • Improve communication and exchange of information about up-coming policies

16. SCP Opportunities • Stimulate progressive companies to advocate for effective legislation • Increase transparency and right-to-know provisions • Get full involvement of public interest groups in decision-making

18. Nadia HAIAMA-NEUROHR Senior policy officer Tel: +32 (0)2 274 1913 Fax: +32 (0)2 274 1910 nadia.haiama@diala.greenpeace org http://eu.greenpeace.org http://www.greenpeace.org