We need a global science-policy body on chemicals and waste
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2021 |
| Type | Article in Periodical (without peer review) |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | A working science-policy interface (SPI) is essential for effective environmental policies. In the area of chemicals and waste there are many SPI bodies for certain spatial domains or types of chemicals, such as the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) for chemicals in the Arctic or the POPs Review Committee for Persistent Organic Pollutants. However, a global SPI body, similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is missing in the area of chemicals and waste. Here we present four gaps in the landscape of SPI bodies for chemicals and outline the goals and key elements of a global SPI body for chemicals and waste. The four gaps include insufficient coverage of issues of concern, a lack of horizon scanning, a lack of bi-directional communication between science and policy, and insufficient involvement of the wider scientific community. A global SPI body responding to these gaps needs (i) to be inclusive of all relevant chemicals and issues, (ii) to be intergovernmental, (iii) to have a strict conflict-of-interest policy, and (iv) to receive broad and balanced contributions from all sciences and regions of the world. |
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