Managing chemicals for sustainable development

The document examines the challenges of managing rapidly growing global chemical production, emphasizing the disproportionate risks faced by developing countries and the informal sector. It highlights the role of international agreements, specifically the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), in fostering national-level safety frameworks. The brief identifies critical knowledge gaps regarding chemical mixtures, low-dose exposure, and planetary boundary threats, while discussing the complex trade-offs between chemical use, innovation, and environmental protection.

• Global chemical production grew by more than 50% between 2000 and 2010, primarily due to increased demand in developing countries and economies in transition.
• Chemical risks are unequally distributed globally and internally, with poverty acting as a risk factor and developing countries facing obstacles such as weak institutions, inadequate legislation, and a lack of financial and human resources.
• Targeting the informal sector—including small-scale mining, production industries, and small-holder agriculture—can lead to significant improvements in public and occupational health because these areas often lack safety training and personal protection equipment.
• The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) provides a broader vision for 'cradle to grave' multi-sectoral solutions compared to substance-specific agreements, though there is still no internationally agreed method to measure progress toward its 2020 goal.
• Significant knowledge gaps exist regarding the health risks of low-dose exposure and chemical mixtures, as well as the potential for chemical pollution to exceed planetary boundaries.
• National chemical management involves difficult trade-offs, such as the use of herbicides which can reduce fuel consumption and sustain soil fertility but may negatively impact surrounding ecosystems.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2014). Managing chemicals for sustainable development. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-SynthesisBrief-Chemicals.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Managing chemicals for sustainable development. 2014. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-SynthesisBrief-Chemicals.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Managing chemicals for sustainable development |date=2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-SynthesisBrief-Chemicals.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2014managing, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Managing chemicals for sustainable development}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-SynthesisBrief-Chemicals.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }