Major Group: Business & Industry
The Business and Industry Major Group is committed to working with all stakeholders to
improve sustainable development outcomes for chemicals. The private sector fully endorses
and supports the WSSD 2020 goal for promoting safer chemicals management worldwide. We
participate actively in the SAICM process, and believe that SAICM, as a multi-stakeholder
framework, is the best equipped forum for reaching the 2020 goal.
SAICM has already made important progress towards the 2020 goal, although we recognize that
significant work remains to be done. SAICM embeds the lifecycle approach to chemicals
management, and its core policy objectives ? risk reduction, knowledge and information,
governance, capacity building, and illegal traffic ? have directly shaped sustainability efforts in
the private sector.
To give some concrete examples from the chemical industry (which I am representing here
today): since 2006, the industry has as part of its flagship Responsible Care and Global Product
Strategy initiatives:
Defined best practices for a base set of hazard and exposure information adequate for
conducting chemical safety assessments.
Developed a set of global product stewardship guidelines for use by member
associations and companies to accelerate the implementation of their chemical
management programs.
Provided capacity building projects in a number of developing countries in Africa, Asia-
Pacific, Latin America, and in countries with economies in transition.
Extended the Responsible Care network to include Russia, and other countries in
Eastern Europe; established a pilot project with Chinese national companies; and is
exploring an initiative in the Persian Gulf region.
Other industry sectors are equally committed to achieving the 2020 goal. At ICCM-2 in 2009,
the International Council on Mining and Metals launched the action plan Minerals and Metals
Management 2020, which charts ICMM?s implementation of SAICM. CropLife International [to
be added].
The private sector has a unique role to play in promoting sustainable development. Its products
and technologies will have a major role in preserving our resources for future generations
through reducing emissions, conserving energy, and developing sustainable materials,
technologies, and business practices. Business and Industry is a major contributor to green jobs
and the green economy.
To give an example, an International Council of Chemical Associations life-cycle analysis study
released in 2009 (based on independent analytical work by the consulting firm McKinsey and
Associates, and validated by the Öko Institute) reveals that GHG emission savings enabled by the
chemical industry are more than double the industry?s emissions, i.e. products of the chemical
industry enabled GHG savings 2-3 times greater than their emissions.
In summary, the Business and Industry Major Group supports and is a major contributor
towards the goal of promoting sustainable development in the chemicals sector. We fully
endorse the WSSD 2020 goal for safe chemicals management, and support the further
strengthening of SAICM, including through adequate resourcing, to enable it to effectively
monitor progress and encourage national efforts towards reaching the 2020 goal. Our hope is
that consideration of chemicals during this CSD cycle will focus on supporting SAICM in this
regard.
improve sustainable development outcomes for chemicals. The private sector fully endorses
and supports the WSSD 2020 goal for promoting safer chemicals management worldwide. We
participate actively in the SAICM process, and believe that SAICM, as a multi-stakeholder
framework, is the best equipped forum for reaching the 2020 goal.
SAICM has already made important progress towards the 2020 goal, although we recognize that
significant work remains to be done. SAICM embeds the lifecycle approach to chemicals
management, and its core policy objectives ? risk reduction, knowledge and information,
governance, capacity building, and illegal traffic ? have directly shaped sustainability efforts in
the private sector.
To give some concrete examples from the chemical industry (which I am representing here
today): since 2006, the industry has as part of its flagship Responsible Care and Global Product
Strategy initiatives:
Defined best practices for a base set of hazard and exposure information adequate for
conducting chemical safety assessments.
Developed a set of global product stewardship guidelines for use by member
associations and companies to accelerate the implementation of their chemical
management programs.
Provided capacity building projects in a number of developing countries in Africa, Asia-
Pacific, Latin America, and in countries with economies in transition.
Extended the Responsible Care network to include Russia, and other countries in
Eastern Europe; established a pilot project with Chinese national companies; and is
exploring an initiative in the Persian Gulf region.
Other industry sectors are equally committed to achieving the 2020 goal. At ICCM-2 in 2009,
the International Council on Mining and Metals launched the action plan Minerals and Metals
Management 2020, which charts ICMM?s implementation of SAICM. CropLife International [to
be added].
The private sector has a unique role to play in promoting sustainable development. Its products
and technologies will have a major role in preserving our resources for future generations
through reducing emissions, conserving energy, and developing sustainable materials,
technologies, and business practices. Business and Industry is a major contributor to green jobs
and the green economy.
To give an example, an International Council of Chemical Associations life-cycle analysis study
released in 2009 (based on independent analytical work by the consulting firm McKinsey and
Associates, and validated by the Öko Institute) reveals that GHG emission savings enabled by the
chemical industry are more than double the industry?s emissions, i.e. products of the chemical
industry enabled GHG savings 2-3 times greater than their emissions.
In summary, the Business and Industry Major Group supports and is a major contributor
towards the goal of promoting sustainable development in the chemicals sector. We fully
endorse the WSSD 2020 goal for safe chemicals management, and support the further
strengthening of SAICM, including through adequate resourcing, to enable it to effectively
monitor progress and encourage national efforts towards reaching the 2020 goal. Our hope is
that consideration of chemicals during this CSD cycle will focus on supporting SAICM in this
regard.