CCB welcomes a new Global Framework on Chemicals

CCB • October 2, 2023

September 2023 - Representatives of the Coalition Clean Baltic, including the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (Sweden), BUND (Germany), and Hazardous Substances Working Area Leader have participated in the fifth International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5), and associated meetings, which took place on 20-29 of September in Bonn, Germany.

ICCM is the leading UN multi-stakeholder, and multi-sectoral body responsible for steering of the strategic international chemicals management. Most importantly, the UN Conference adopted a comprehensive Global Framework on Chemicals that sets concrete targets and guidelines for key sectors across the entire lifecycle of chemicals.


This framework provides a vision for a planet free of harm from chemicals and waste, for a safe, healthy and sustainable future – and is an important part of the wider group of agreements, such as the Sustainable Development Goals, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the global treaty on plastic pollution under negotiation.


Based around 28 targets, the Global Framework outlines a roadmap for countries and stakeholders to collaboratively address the lifecycle of chemicals, including products and waste. According to ENB, the 12-part Framework, its three annexes, and the accompanying 12 resolutions “provide a rationale, targets, and actions to ensure that a broad cross-section of stakeholders from governments, international technical agencies, civil society, and the private sector can collaborate” on such issues as:

  • phasing out the most harmful chemicals;
  • strengthening capacity building, particularly for countries with weak enforcement regimes; and
  • creating better linkages across diverse sectors, including health and occupational safety, trade, agriculture, energy, and transport. 


The negotiating process was unique in that representatives from governments, the private sector, non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations, and academia participated at the same level.




Governments have committed to creating, by 2030, the regulatory environment to reduce chemical pollution and implement policies to promote safer alternatives. Industry has committed to managing chemicals in a way that reduces chemical pollution and adverse impacts by 2030. The framework calls for, by 2035, a phase out of highly hazardous pesticides in agriculture where the risks have not been managed and safer alternatives are available. There is a target on strengthening links between the new instrument and the climate, biodiversity, human rights and health agendas.


Crucially, an integrated approach to financing was agreed, with private sector financing lining up with the targets of the agreement. A dedicated trust fund will be set up and managed by the United Nations Environment Programme. Into this fund, governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and foundations can add to an initial EUR 20 million pledged by Germany.


“We at CCB are happy that a multi-year negotiations process of development of the new global chemicals instrument has finally concluded with adoption of the historic decision to establish the “Global Framework on Chemicals – For a planet free of harm from chemicals and waste.” We believe that it sends quite a strong political signal to all stakeholders - we have to act quickly and in a coordinated way in order to prevent harm, caused by chemicals production and use throughout the lifecycle, and to achieve a sustainable chemicals management”, said Eugeniy Lobanov, CCB Hazardous Substances Working Area Leader. “The Baltic Sea region shall be among leaders in implementation of the Framework, and in arranging support to developing countries in addressing their challenges regarding chemicals management”, continued.



In addition, ICCM5 launched a Global Alliance on Highly Hazardous Pesticides, as well as a process for creating implementation programmes for the new Framework that should result in new sector-focused initiatives involving key heavy users of chemicals, such as the textile and construction sectors.

 

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Article written by Eugeniy Lobanov, CCB Hazardous Substances Working Area Leader

 

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COP30 brings ocean and water to the center of climate policy

By CCB • December 5, 2025
In Belém, in the heart of the Amazon, the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference COP30 immediately set the bar high. In his opening speech, Brazilian President Lula da Silva stressed that climate change is no longer a "threat to the future", but a tragedy that the world is already experiencing here and now, and called on countries to accelerate actions rather than limit themselves to promises. However, as is often the case in COP meetings, the political reality turned out to be more complicated than ambitions. Negotiations were difficult: the countries could not agree on a clear and binding plan to phase out fossil fuels. It is important to note that the Global Action Plan has provided a platform for discussing the development of a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels, the main driver of climate change. At the same time, COP30 has brought tangible progress in other areas: the countries agreed to triple the amount of adaptation funding for developing countries by 2035, strengthened the forest and ocean agenda, and expanded the range of practical initiatives under the Action Agenda . COP30 consolidated the trend: from "water at the center of the climate crisis" to a holistic ocean agenda closely related to energy, food, biodiversity and sustainable coastal development. From the COP29 Water Declaration to the COP30 Enhanced Ocean Water Program At COP29 in Baku, the Declaration on Water for Climate Action was adopted , with the aim to applying comprehensive approaches to combating the causes and consequences of climate change for water basins, emphasizing also the need to integrate water-related mitigation and adaptation measures into national climate policies, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). COP30 did not reverse this logic, but expanded it towards the ocean and coasts. Both processes "aquatic" and "oceanic" are moving in the same direction: integration of water, coasts and ocean into the climate plans of countries; development of nature-based solutions; strengthening transboundary management of water and marine systems; recognizing adaptation as an equal part of climate policy, rather than an "adjunct" to emissions reduction. Task Force on Oceans and the Blue NDC Challenge The international Task Force on Oceans , led by Brazil and France, was officially presented at the high-level ministerial meeting "From Ambition to Implementation: Delivering on Ocean Commitments" on 18 November, integrating oceans into a global mechanism to accelerate the incorporation of marine solutions into national climate plans. The Blue Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Challenge encourages countries to set ocean protection targets when updating their NDCs. The goal is to transition the Blue NDC Challenge into an Implementation Task Force. Members of the Blue NDC Challenge, currently 17 countries, can adopt a broad set of actions aimed at the protection and sustainable use of the oceans.These measures include the sustainable management, conservation, and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems, supported by tools such as marine spatial planning, integrated coastal zone management, and climate-aligned marine protected areas. Countries are also encouraged to support sustainable and climate-resilient fishing and aquaculture, ensuring ocean health and long-term food security. B razil has set a clear example: its updated NDC includes a separate chapter on the ocean and coastal zones. For the first time, the national climate plan (Plano Clima) until 2035 includes a thematic adaptation plan for these areas. Priorities include the completion of national Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) by 2030 and major programs for the conservation and restoration of mangroves and coral reefs (ProManguezal, ProCoral).

Pathway to Tox-Free Living: Policy and Action

By CCB • November 24, 2025
Leading scientists, consumer advocates and policymakers gathered on November, 18th in Brussels for the conference "From Evidence to Policy: Toward a Tox free Living Environment" . They warned that exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in homes and consumer products represents a silent but severe public health and economic crisis. New findings presented to over 65 participants by the EU Baltic Sea Interreg project NonHazCity3 , LIFE ChemBee and the ToxFree LIFE for All projects as well as revealed widespread contamination of European households by complex chemical mixtures of hormone system disrupting substances (so called endocrine disrupters – EDCs) that contribute to chronic disease and impose enormous health costs. According to the key note speaker Dr. Aleksandra Rutkowska, the home environment is a significant source of exposure to EDCs through indoor air, dust and daily contact with common products. Current research links such exposure to a shocking amount of lifestyle diseases including 22 cancer outcomes, 18 metabolic disorder outcomes and 17 cardiovascular disease outcomes. Scientists also stressed that the crisis spans generations. EDCs trigger epigenetic changes that not only affect today’s population but also future children and even grandchildren. Other effects include reproduction disorders. Over the last decade, 150 million babies were born preterm, and evidence shows that reducing the use of plastics by half could cut the risk of preterm birth by half as well.