The environmental health and justice watchdog group, EcoWaste Coalition, has backed the call for the creation of a Global Green Chemicals and Waste Fund.
As stakeholders from the government, industry, civil society, and other sectors assemble in Nairobi, Kenya for the resumed fourth meeting of the Intersessional Process (IP4) for the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) from February 27 to March 3, 2023, the group discussed the need for a dedicated fund to address the global toxic chemical crisis.
The National Coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition, Aileen Lucero, said “As an advocate for a zero waste and toxics-free future, we understand the need for accessible, adequate and reliable financial resources for programs and projects, including those initiated by grassroots communities, that will prevent and reduce chemical and waste pollution that is harming human health and the environment.”
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According to Lucero, a dedicated global fund is required to support the effective implementation of the new SAICM instrument that is currently being negotiated, adding that “We therefore urge the IP4 participants, especially the government negotiators, to agree on establishing a Global Green Chemicals and Waste Fund.”
“Like the Green Climate Fund and the Global Biodiversity Fund, the proposed fund can equip governments and civil society groups with the much-needed resources to deal with the planetary crisis due to pollution from chemicals and waste,” she added.
The EcoWaste Coalition, a member of the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), joins other public interest organizations in calling for chemical manufacturers to internalize the full health, environmental, and social costs associated with their products.
Story was adapted from Enviro News
