Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy-making for a Pollution-free Planet

Bridgingthegapbetweenscienceandpolicy-makingforapollution-freeplanet Pollution,includingfromchemicalsandwaste,isaglobalproblem—deadlytohumans,destructivetoecosystemsanddisastrousforeconomies. Tostemthepollutioncrisisandaddressemergingissuesofconcern,countriesaredevelopinganewscience-policybodythatwillprovidepolicymakerswithrobust,independentinformationonchemicals,wasteandpollutionforasustainablefuture,forpeopleandplanet. Whyweneedtoact Chemicalsarea US$5trillionindustry, integraltoglobalfood,constructionandtransportationsystems.Ifnotmanagedsafely,chemicalscancausecatastrophicdamage. Pollutionisresponsiblefor 9milliondeathsayearglobally, oroneinsixfatalities.Pollution-related deathshaveincreasedby66percentoverthelasttwodecades. Asolutiontolessenthetollofchemicals,wasteandpollution Anewscience-policybodywillhelpinformgovernments,companies,farmersandabroadarrayofotherstakeholderstobettermanagechemicals,reducewasteand preventpollution.Thisiscrucialtotacklethetripleplanetarycrisisofclimatechange,natureandbiodiversityloss,andpollutionandwaste,andimprovethehealthofpeopleandtheplanet. Thepanelwillbeanindependentintergovernmentalbodyandisexpectedtobeoperationalasearlyas2025.Thepanelwill: •identifyissuesofrelevancetopolicymakersandproposeevidence-basedoptions 99percentoftheworldpopulationisexposedtolevelsof airpollutionthatdonotmeetthe2021WorldHealthOrganizationairqualityguidelines. 1in3children havedangerouslyhighbloodleadlevels,whichhasbeenlinkedtolowerintelligencequotientscoresand behaviouralproblems. toaddressthem; •conductassessmentstohelpidentifypotentialsolutions,particularlythoserelevanttodevelopingcountries; •improveaccesstohigh-qualityandup-to-datescientificinformationforevidence-baseddecisionmaking; •identifykeygapsinexistingknowledge; •encourageandsupportcommunicationbetweenscientistsandpolicymakers; •buildcapacity. Theglobalcostofleadexposure wasUS$6trillionin2019,equivalenttoalmost7percentoftheglobalgrossdomesticproduct. Antimicrobialresistance,whichcausedmorethan1.3milliondeathsin2019, couldpush24millionpeopleinto extremepovertyinthenextdecade. 2.1billiontonnesofsolidwasteareproducedannually—enoughtoreachthemoonandbackifit waspackedintostandardshippingcontainersandplacedend-to-end. Thescience-policypanelwillcomplementtheworkofUnitedNationsentitiesandotherorganizations.Itwillalsoprovidepolicyrelevant,credibleandscientificallyrobustscientificevidencetosupportcountriesinmakingsounddecisionsandtoguidestakeholderstowardsatransformationalshifttoachievesustainability. Whyarescience-policybodiesimportant? Science-policybodiesprovideauthoritativeglobalassessmentsthatcanhelpsoundthealarmonemergingcrisesandshedlightonsolutionstocomplexchallenges.Thishelpsraiseglobalawarenessandmobilizethepoliticalwilltoconfrontcriticalissues. Thenewpanelonchemicals,wasteandpollutionwillsitalongsideexistingscience-policybodies:theIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange(IPCC)andtheIntergovernmentalScience-PolicyPlatformonBiodiversityandEcosystemServices(IPBES).Thisensuresthatallthreecomponentsofthetripleplanetarycrisishaveadedicatedscience-policybody.