The Pollution Playbook

This factsheet describes how the chemical, plastics, and fossil fuel industries use deceptive tactics—including withholding data, funding biased science, and creating front groups—to block the regulation of toxic substances like PFAS, BPA, and benzene. It recommends banning these corporations from regulatory processes and establishing independent scientific support for policymakers.

• Chemical manufacturers use deceptive tactics to maintain the production and sale of toxic products by exploiting a regulatory gap involving over 350,000 chemicals and mixtures. These companies position themselves as essential partners to policymakers due to their exclusive access to chemical data, but use this influence to oppose regulation.
• The document identifies several industry tactics used to block the regulation of specific harmful substances: PFAS manufacturers withheld knowledge of hazards known since the 1970s and funded science to counter peer-reviewed evidence; the plastics industry trade association Plastics Europe filed three unsuccessful lawsuits against the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) regarding Bisphenol A (BPA) classifications; the fossil fuel industry used a front group called Conservation of Clean Air and Water in Europe (Concawe) to oppose lower occupational limits for benzene; and pesticide industry actors have used ghostwriting and the disqualification of independent evidence to keep products on the market.
• To combat industry interference in chemical regulation, the document recommends banning corporations that sell harmful products (such as plastics, pesticides, and chemicals) from participating in regulatory processes, mirroring World Health Organization rules for the tobacco industry. It also calls for mandatory lobbying disclosure through conflict of interest rules and the creation of well-funded, independent scientific channels to support policymakers.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). The Pollution Playbook. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CIEL-Pollution-Playbook-Factsheet.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. The Pollution Playbook. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CIEL-Pollution-Playbook-Factsheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=The Pollution Playbook |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CIEL-Pollution-Playbook-Factsheet.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndpollution, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{The Pollution Playbook}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CIEL-Pollution-Playbook-Factsheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }