| 1. |
- Slunge, Daniel, 1968, et al.
(författare)
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The implementation of the substitution principle in European chemical legislation: a comparative analysis
- 2023
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Ingår i: Environmental Sciences Europe. - : Springer. - 2190-4707 .- 2190-4715. ; 35
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The substitution of hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives is an important objective in European chemical policy, but implementation has been slower than expected. We conduct a comprehensive analysis and comparison of the implementation of the substitution principle in European regulations for pesticides, biocides, and industrial chemicals. Specifically, we examine and compare the criteria and processes associated with the identification of candidates for substitution and the assessment of alternatives. Results: We find only minor differences in the criteria applied to identify candidates for substitution amongst pesticides, biocides, and industrial chemicals, but larger differences concerning the processes used. While all substances that are to be approved as a pesticide and biocide are systematically evaluated against the established criteria for substitution, the substitution process for industrial chemicals only focuses on those substances identified as substances of very high concern. The main reason candidates for substitution remain on the market is the lack of identified safer chemical alternatives and the insufficient consideration of non-chemical alternatives, caused, at least to a large extent, by the comparatively weak incentives provided by current regulations. Conclusions: The systematic approach for the identification of industrial substances of very high concern (SVHC) under ECHAs “Integrated Regulatory Strategy” is much welcome. However, no final conclusion on SVHC properties or the need for regulatory action has been drawn for approximately 90% of the REACH-registered substances, as often even basic hazard and exposure data are missing. Hence, at least a screening-level evaluation of SVHC properties should become a mandatory part of the substance registration under REACH. To reduce the risk of strategic behaviour in the search for alternatives to industrial chemicals identified as SVHC, a setup in which regulatory authorities play a larger role as information and knowledge brokers should be considered. Investments in innovation as well as improved sharing of information and a better distribution of the workloads amongst European authorities might also improve the identification of safer alternatives. However, without stronger incentives, making it more costly for companies to continue using hazardous substances relative to safer alternatives, initiatives to promote substitution are likely to have limited success.
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| 2. |
- Alpizar, Francisco, 1974, et al.
(författare)
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Global Chemicals Outlook II. From Legacies to Innovative Solutions: Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
- 2019
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- 1. The size of the global chemical industry exceeded United States dollars 5 trillion in 2017. It is projected to double by 2030. Consumption and production are rapidly increasing in emerging economies. Global supply chains, and the trade of chemicals and products, are becoming increasingly complex. 2. Driven by global megatrends, growth in chemical-intensive industry sectors (e.g. construction, agriculture, electronics) creates risks, but also opportunities to advance sustainable consumption, production and product innovation. 3. Hazardous chemicals and other pollutants (e.g. plastic waste and pharmaceutical pollutants) continue to be released in large quantities. They are ubiquitous in humans and the environment and are accumulating in material stocks and products, highlighting the need to avoid future legacies through sustainable materials management and circular business models. 4. The benefits of action to minimize adverse impacts have been estimated in the high tens of billions of United States dollars annually. The World Health Organization estimated the burden of disease from selected chemicals at 1.6 million lives in 2016 (this is likely to be an underestimate). Chemical pollution also threatens a range of ecosystem services. 5. International treaties and voluntary instruments have reduced the risks of some chemicals and wastes, but progress has been uneven and implementation gaps remain. As of 2018, more than 120 countries had not implemented the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. 6. Addressing legislation and capacity gaps in developing countries and emerging economies remains a priority. Also, resources have not matched needs. There are opportunities for new and innovative financing (e.g. through cost recovery and engagement of the financial sector). 7. Significant resources can be saved by sharing knowledge on chemical management instruments more widely, and by enhancing mutual acceptance of approaches in areas ranging from chemical hazard assessment to alternatives assessment. 8. Frontrunner companies – from chemical producers to retailers – are introducing sustainable supply chain management, full material disclosure, risk reduction beyond compliance, and human rights-based policies. However, widespread implementation of these initiatives has not yet been achieved. 9. Consumer demand, as well as green and sustainable chemistry education and innovation (e.g. though start-ups), are among the important drivers of change. They can be scaled up through enabling policies, reaping the potential benefits of chemistry innovations for sustainable development. 10. Global knowledge gaps can be filled. This can be achieved, for example, by taking steps to harmonize research protocols, considering health or environmental impact information and harm caused to set and address priorities (e.g. emerging issues), and strengthening the science-policy interface through enhanced collaboration of scientists and decision-makers.
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| 3. |
- Groh, Ksenia J, et al.
(författare)
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Overview of known plastic packaging-associated chemicals and their hazards.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697. ; 651:Pt 2, s. 3253-3268
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Global plastics production has reached 380 million metric tons in 2015, with around 40% used for packaging. Plastic packaging is diverse and made of multiple polymers and numerous additives, along with other components, such as adhesives or coatings. Further, packaging can contain residues from substances used during manufacturing, such as solvents, along with non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), such as impurities, oligomers, or degradation products. To characterize risks from chemicals potentially released during manufacturing, use, disposal, and/or recycling of packaging, comprehensive information on all chemicals involved is needed. Here, we present a database of Chemicals associated with Plastic Packaging (CPPdb), which includes chemicals used during manufacturing and/or present in final packaging articles. The CPPdb lists 906 chemicals likely associated with plastic packaging and 3377 substances that are possibly associated. Of the 906 chemicals likely associated with plastic packaging, 63 rank highest for human health hazards and 68 for environmental hazards according to the harmonized hazard classifications assigned by the European Chemicals Agency within the Classification, Labeling and Packaging (CLP) regulation implementing the United Nations' Globally Harmonized System (GHS). Further, 7 of the 906 substances are classified in the European Union as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT), or very persistent, very bioaccumulative (vPvB), and 15 as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC). Thirty-four of the 906 chemicals are also recognized as EDC or potential EDC in the recent EDC report by the United Nations Environment Programme. The identified hazardous chemicals are used in plastics as monomers, intermediates, solvents, surfactants, plasticizers, stabilizers, biocides, flame retardants, accelerators, and colorants, among other functions. Our work was challenged by a lack of transparency and incompleteness of publicly available information on both the use and toxicity of numerous substances. The most hazardous chemicals identified here should be assessed in detail as potential candidates for substitution.
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| 4. |
- Ahlberg, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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"Vi klimatforskare stödjer Greta och skolungdomarna"
- 2019
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Ingår i: Dagens nyheter (DN debatt). - 1101-2447.
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Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- DN DEBATT 15/3. Sedan industrialiseringens början har vi använt omkring fyra femtedelar av den mängd fossilt kol som får förbrännas för att vi ska klara Parisavtalet. Vi har bara en femtedel kvar och det är bråttom att kraftigt reducera utsläppen. Det har Greta Thunberg och de strejkande ungdomarna förstått. Därför stödjer vi deras krav, skriver 270 klimatforskare.
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| 5. |
- Wingqvist, Gunilla Ölund, 1966, et al.
(författare)
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The Role of Governance for Improved Environmental Outcomes
- 2012
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Climate change and escalating environmental degradation is becoming key constraints to a sustainable development. Managing the environmental challenges is important for the well-being of all citizens, particularly for the least well-off. There has been some progress in terms of policies and creation of environmental authorities and international environmental commitments. There is however, a growing gap between the commitments made and the actual implementation to improve environmental outcomes. It is increasingly recognised that technical solutions to environmental problems are not sufficient to obtain sustainable development. Measures that strengthen important human rights principles such as the rule of law, transparency and public participation may be equally or more important than specific environmental policies or projects in order to improve environmental outcomes. The purpose of the report is to explore the linkages between governance and the implementation of environmental legislation (including multilateral environmental agreements) and other environmental measures. The report is intended as a source of information and inspiration to individuals and organisations working with environment and development.
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| 6. |
- Carney Almroth, Bethanie, 1974, et al.
(författare)
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Circular economy could expose children to hazardous phthalates and chlorinated paraffins via old toys and childcare articles
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Hazardous Materials. - : Elsevier BV. - 0304-3894 .- 2772-4166. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The European waste framework directive encourages reuse, refurbishment and recycling of products and materials in order to reduce plastic waste. However, thousands of chemicals are used in plastic materials. Many of these are potentially toxic, and may cause hormonal and developmental disruption in children. This includes phthalates and short chain chlorinated paraffins, which are used as plasticizers and flame-retardants. European legal frameworks regulate the amounts of these substances in toys in an effort to protect children's health and safety. Currently, limits are set to 0.1% for phthalates and 0.15% for SCCPs. Here, we have investigated levels of these compounds in toys and childcare products that were purchased prior to and after legislation on stricter exposure levels was implemented (total of 157 items, 54 and 103 new and old, respectively). We found that a larger portion of older toys and items (83.5%) contained amounts that exceed legal limits, compared to newer toys and items (29.6%). Concentrations of DEHP, BBP, DIDP, and SCCPs were significantly higher in old items, and both DEHP and DINP were found at concentrations exceeding 400,000 mg/kg in several old balls, which is approximately 40% of the weight of the toy, and 400 times above the legal limit. These findings indicate that old toys have the potential to pose a greater risk to children, and that regulations can be useful tools to protect children from exposure to toxic chemicals. We also stress that the waste framework directive, which urges reuse and repurposing of objects such as second hand items used for dress-up play, can lead to continued exposure via chemicals in older items. We conclude that movement towards circular economy threatens to expose children from legacy compounds already restricted on the market if efforts are not made to remove these items from circulation.
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| 7. |
- Knaggård, Åsa, et al.
(författare)
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Researchers’ approaches to stakeholders: Interaction or transfer of knowledge?
- 2019
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Policy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1462-9011 .- 1873-6416. ; 97, s. 25-35
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stakeholder interaction is important for enabling environmental research to support the societal transition to sustainability. We argue that it is crucial to take researchers’ approaches to and perceptions of stakeholder interaction into account, to enable more clarity in discussions about interaction, as well as more systematic interaction approaches. Through a survey and focus group interviews with environmental researchers at three Swedish universities, we investigate the effects of two models of stakeholder interaction, as well as high and low levels within each. The ‘transfer model’ implies that interaction is understood as communication and should be separated from research. The ‘interaction model’ implies that interaction happens throughout the research process. Our study shows some significant differences between researchers in the two models, but also between high and low levels of stakeholder interaction regardless of model. The result indicates that the transfer model needs to be considered in studies and practice of stakeholder interaction, but also that the low levels of the interaction model consists of a number of different types of approaches. The major difference between the two models was about how large researchers understood the benefits and risks with stakeholder interaction to be. Transfer researchers saw interaction as a threat to the integrity of research, whereas interaction researchers saw it as enabling research. © 2019 The Authors
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| 8. |
- Rudén, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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Framtidens kemikaliekontroll - Hantering av kombinationseffekter och gruppvis bedömning av ämnen : SOU 2019:45
- 2019
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Det är mer än 50 år sedan den första kemikalielagstiftningen på EUnivå infördes; 1967 trädde direktivet om farliga ämnen i kraft. Direktivet fastlade regler för klassificering och märkning av kemikalier baserade på deras inneboende farlighet. Under de följande decennierna tillkom fler riskbaserade regler, som också blev föregångarna till REACH-förordningen. Införandet, tillämpningen och utvecklingen av dessa nya regelverk har över tid bidragit till att minska koncentrationerna av många klassiska gifter i människor och ekosystem i Europa, vilket måste ses som en betydande framgång, och som också bekräftar nyttan av att ha en adekvat kemikalielagstiftning för att långsiktigt skydda människors hälsa och ekosystemen. Men parallellt med lagstiftningens tillkomst och utveckling har även kemikalieindustrins och samhällets användande av kemikalier utvecklats och växt i snabb takt. Enligt Eurostat används i dag mer än 200 miljoner ton farliga kemikalier per år i Europa, och fler än 22 000 olika kemikalier är registrerade bara i REACH. Föga överraskande hittar miljöövervakningen fortfarande en blandning av kemikalier i så gott som alla prover som tas från människor eller miljön. Det beror på att det typiska exponeringsscenariot har ändrats under de senaste decennierna – från lokala punktkällor med utsläpp av höga koncentrationer av ett fåtal ämnen, till en diffus exponering för en mängd komplexa och variabla blandningar av olika miljögifter. Var och en ofta i relativt låga koncentrationer. I denna rapport presenteras elva rekommendationer om hur europeisk kemikaliekontroll kan utvecklas för att bättre hantera denna komplexitet. Förslagen fokuserar på två centrala områden: 1. Riskbedömning och hantering av kemiska blandningar, i syfte att göra kemisk riskbedömning och riskhantering mer relevant för målet att skydda människors hälsa och ekosystemen. 2. Gruppvis utvärdering av kemikalier, för att underlätta identifiering av problematiska ämnen och stödja processen att byta ut farliga kemikalier mot säkrare alternativ. Kapitel 1 sammanfattar utredningens uppdrag och hur vi arbetat. Kapitel 2 innehåller en bred överblick av frågeställningarna samt förklaringar till centrala begrepp och definitioner. I kapitel 3 sammanfattas relevanta delar av svensk och europeisk kemikalielagstiftning och internationella konventioner. Den vetenskapliga bakgrunden till våra förslag beskrivs därefter i kapitlen 4 och 5. Kapitel 6 innehåller våra elva rekommendationer. Varje rekommendation inleds med en introducerande problembeskrivning. Syftet med detta är att kapitlet ska kunna läsas separat. Kapitel 7 innehåller en konsekvensanalys, och i kapitel 8 ges en översikt över våra interaktioner med avnämare. Sist i rapporten finns referenser och först en lista som förklarar de akronymer och förkortningar som förekommer i texten. Sammanfattningsvis visar vår analys att det behövs betydande förändringar och förbättringar av det nuvarande systemet för kemikaliekontroll om det ska hålla jämna steg med innovationer i kemikalieanvändningen och utvecklingen inom vetenskapen. Att regelverket utvecklas parallellt med dessa är en förutsättning för att uppnå det övergripande målet med EU:s kemikalielagstiftning att säkerställa en hög skyddsnivå för hälsa och miljö, och det svenska miljömålet att den totala exponeringen för kemiska ämnen via alla exponeringskällor inte ska vara skadlig för människor eller biologisk mångfald.
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| 9. |
- Slunge, Daniel, 1968
(författare)
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Economic instruments to incentivise substitution of chemicals of concern - a review
- 2023
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The study provides an overview of economic instruments used in chemicals management and in other environmental domains that governments could consider to incentivise substitution of chemicals of concern. Building on the lessons learned from the use of economic instruments for environmental and chemicals management, five broad sets of instruments with potential to incentivise substitution of chemicals of concern are discussed: • Fees on producers and importers of chemicals to incentivise information provision. Fee-based registries contribute indirectly to substitution by providing information to market actors and authorities. A key challenge is that the information submitted to the authorities often is of low quality. This could be counteracted by increasing default costs, through imposing (increasing) penalties and enhancing quality controls. • Taxes or fees on chemicals of concern with a possibility to use revenues for toxic use reduction programmes. A tax or fee could be introduced on all substances identified as substances of concern. To avoid “regrettable substitution”, a tax or fee system could in principle be extended to also cover chemicals with a similar chemical structure as listed chemicals of concerns. Revenues from fees could finance toxic use reduction programmes, including research, education, technical support as well as grants to small businesses to support transitioning to safer alternatives. • Risk based taxation on substances of concern in products articles and processes. Evaluations indicate that risk-based taxation – which links taxation more closely to specific environment and health risks – can be effective in reducing the environmental and health effects of chemicals. However, the limited information about substances of concern in articles is a key constraint to broader application. • Hybrid schemes combining fees and subsidies in collaboration with industry sectors. By returning revenues from fees on chemicals of concern to the regulated sector in the form of a subsidy or technical assistance, strong incentives for substitution can be generated in sectors where substitution is challenging. An important feature of these type of hybrid schemes is their potential to create policy support within the regulated industry. • Permit systems with trading possibilities. Tradable permit systems have been used in relation to lead, CFCs and fluorinated greenhouse gases. Similar systems could be designed to incentivise the substitution of other groups of substances of concern or specific uses. One could also envision broader permit markets as all chemicals put on the market occupy a piece of a shared pollution space.
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| 10. |
- Slunge, Daniel, 1968, et al.
(författare)
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Fiscal incentives to advance sound management of chemicals and sustainable chemistry. Review Paper for the Global Chemicals Outlook II
- 2019
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Fiscal incentives are governmental policies that change the relative price of a given activity or input, either encouraging or discouraging its use. They can be created through the removal of existing price distortions that generate perverse incentives for overuse, or through the implementation of new market-based instruments such as taxes, charges, deposit-refund systems, subsidies and tradable permits. This paper discusses the use of market-based instruments within the broader array of policy instruments for chemical management and analyses factors that facilitate or impede their deployment in different institutional contexts. We also discuss the main challenges in using market-based instruments in the particular context of chemicals, and outline key policy options. The two main arguments in favour of market-based instruments is that they can be more cost-effective and better at promoting innovation than bans, use restrictions and technology standards. By allowing firms with different substitution costs to reduce their use of harmful chemicals at different levels of intensity and time scales, price-type instruments can incentivise a cost-effective reduction in the use of the targeted chemical. Moreover, by increasing the cost of using a specific chemical, market-based instruments can provide strong incentives to innovate in the search for cheaper alternatives. However, there are many situations where the use of market-based instruments for chemicals management is less appropriate, including when the health or environmental costs from exposure to a hazardous chemical are very high, when effects are location specific and when threshold effects are likely. Market-based instruments should be seen as complementing rather than replacing bans and use restrictions in chemicals management. In practice, we find a limited but increasing use of market-based instruments for managing hazardous chemicals. Examples in the agricultural sector include taxes on pesticides and inorganic fertilisers. Similarly, taxes have been used to phase out the use of chlorinated solvents in industry. Lately, taxes have been used to encourage substitution of phthalates and brominated flame retardants in products. Refund systems are increasingly used for products containing hazardous chemicals such as batteries, electronic equipment and vehicles. Although the use of market-based instruments is mainly found in high-income countries, a number of low- and middle-income countries are using such instruments for hazardous waste management. Good knowledge about context-specific factors, such as price elasticities, market structure, availability of substitutes and exposure characteristics for the targeted hazardous chemical, is essential for the design of market-based instruments. Importantly, because market-based instruments can be deployed at different stages of the life cycle of a given chemical, information on the relation between the use of the chemical and its damage function in all those stages is needed. However, in many cases, there is a lack of data, and assessments based on existing data are often surrounded by considerable uncertainties. Hence, there is a need for careful data collection and monitoring and evaluation of the performance of different policy instruments for chemicals management. Flexibility to adjust tax levels after observing market reactions is also necessary. Promising policy options for scaling up the use of market-based instruments in chemicals management include: - Expanding the use of risk-based taxation of hazardous chemicals. Learn from the recent implementation of risk-based taxation of pesticides in Denmark, Norway, France and Mexico. - Evaluating and addressing the effects of subsidies and other policies generating perverse incentives for increased use of hazardous chemicals in agriculture and other sectors. - Using charges to speed up the phasing out of substances of very high concern. - Evaluating the use of market-based instruments for groups of chemicals, such as taxes on flame retardants and phthalates. - Using legal requirements on extended producer responsibility, environmental liability and access to information to incentivise sound chemicals management in line with the polluter pays principle.
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