Chemical pollution
Our planet is facing a chemical pollution crisis, threatening the biological and physical processes that underpin all life on Earth.
Man-made chemicals released in large quantities accumulate in nature and wildlife and threaten to disrupt fragile ecosystems. Even the remote Antarctic is contaminated by hazardous chemicals.
They’re also taking a toll on human health. Exposure to harmful chemicals is known to cause cancer, infertility and other severe health issues. Today, unfortunately, all of us have toxic chemicals in our blood, and babies are born into this world already polluted.
The crisis is so severe that scientists are talking about a triple planetary crisis, which puts pollution right up there with climate change and biodiversity loss.
But don’t throw in the towel just yet. There are ways to reverse the situation — and that’s what ChemSec is trying to do.
Chemical pollution is ‘a threat to the thriving of humans and nature of a similar order as climate change’,
but decades behind global heating in terms of public awareness and action
— From Deep Science Ventures’ report Toxicity
The chemical pollution crisis, explained
Along with climate change and biodiversity loss, chemical pollution is part of the so-called triple planetary crisis that we’re currently facing. Even though it’s underreported and poorly understood, it’s just as severe as the other two.
You’d be excused for thinking that it’s all about green sludge outside a textile factory in Bangladesh. Or thick black smoke from factory chimneys in China. But these are just some of the visible and direct effects of an otherwise largely invisible chemical pollution crisis.
Harmful chemicals are, unfortunately, a part of our daily lives. They’ve become common ingredients in the consumer products we surround ourselves with. They’ve also made their way into the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. Toxic chemicals are everywhere. They’ve been found in the most remote and pristine habitats of the Antarctic, at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, on the peaks of Mount Everest. Toxic chemicals are even in our blood.
Scientists have concluded that our planet can’t handle any more man-made chemicals, that the “planetary boundaries” have already been crossed. The amount of toxic chemicals in the world is threatening to disrupt fragile ecosystems and impact human health in profound and concerning ways.
Harmful chemicals are linked to a plethora of negative health impacts but some of the most concerning ones include population-wide infertility, obesity, IQ loss and developmental problems, and higher cancer rates. Apart from this, the chemical pollution crisis is also a major contributor to climate change and biodiversity loss.
Chemical pollution is a global problem that spares no one. It may be underreported and poorly understood but it shouldn’t be ignored.
What is causing the chemical pollution crisis?
Back in the 1950s, five million tons of chemicals were produced every year. Since then, chemical production has surged to levels that would have seemed like science fiction at the time. Today, annual chemical production is around half a billion tons.
It’s not only production that has gone rampant; there’s also been a staggering rise in the number of different chemicals put on the market. Today, approximately 350,000 different chemicals and mixtures are registered for production and use worldwide. But only a fraction of these are prohibited. Since 73% of all chemicals (at least in Europe) are hazardous to human health and/or the environment, this is quite concerning.
In the EU, which has the world’s most protective chemicals legislation, the restriction process is also incredibly slow. One study found that while authorities must grant companies permission to use a chemical within just three weeks of registering it, it usually takes over 13 years for the authorities to assess the chemical and around two decades to restrict it.
Restrictions also tend to cover only individual substances. This has led to a common industry practice known as “regrettable substitution”, where one harmful chemical is simply substituted for another equally problematic one that is not regulated.
Deep dives
Here is how we can solve the pollution crisis
It may sound like it’s all doom and gloom. But there are concrete measures we could take to reverse the chemical pollution crisis. It’s just a matter of political will and market incentives.
While it’s important to clean up soil and water, limit emissions and manage the abundance of toxic chemicals already in circulation, this will not solve the root cause of the problem. Before we start mopping the floor, we need to turn off the tap. There’s no two ways around it.
If governments start banning an increasing number of hazardous chemicals, and phase-outs follow, we’ll see levels of toxic chemicals decrease in wildlife, nature and ourselves. Bans are the most powerful instrument for halting the production of hazardous chemicals.
But there are other developments that need to happen in parallel. Companies across the supply chain must provide much more transparency about which chemicals they produce and use. The same companies must also adopt and implement robust phase-out plans with end dates. Meanwhile, both companies and governments must rapidly develop and scale a new generation of safer chemicals, materials, and technologies that can replace hazardous substances.
Frontrunner companies that bet big on substituting hazardous chemicals play an essential role in driving change, putting upward pressure on legislation. And so do responsible financial actors, who implement policies that pressure companies to improve their chemicals management.
Support us:
Stop toxic chemicals before they become pollution
Children are born with harmful chemicals in their bodies — before their first breath.
ChemSec works to stop chemical pollution at the source. Donate in under a minute and help drive real change.
What ChemSec does
So, what part does ChemSec play in all of this?
Policy
Since strict chemical regulations are the best way to protect people and planet from hazardous chemicals, we push international and European lawmakers to adopt progressive and sustainable chemical legislation.
ChemSec is frequently invited to EU meetings at various levels to give our expert opinion. In fact, ChemSec holds official seats in all relevant EU chemical policy committees, and our input is actively sought by the EU Commission, Member States and the European Parliament.
Business
When legislation is slow, industry needs to step up. Companies can take the lead themselves and phase out hazardous chemicals voluntarily. This is why we created the ChemSec Business Group where world-leading companies from various industries — including Apple, Adidas and IKEA — can share best practices on chemicals management. We also coordinate a corporate anti-PFAS movement of 120 brands worth $130 billion that are saying No to forever chemicals.
Another part of ChemSec’s business work is developing free chemicals management tools — including the SIN List and ChemSec Marketplace — to help companies with their substitution and phase-out efforts.
Investors
Cash is said to be king. This means that institutional investors, who are owners of the big publicly traded chemical companies, have a lot of say.
ChemSec coordinates the Investor Initiative on Hazardous Chemicals (IIHC), an investor-led collaborative engagement initiative that engages with the world’s largest publicly traded chemical companies. With 75 members and $23 trillion in assets under management, it is the world’s largest investor initiative against hazardous chemicals. Every year, we also publish ChemScore, which has become the benchmark sustainability index for chemicals management within the chemical industry.