UN Establishes Science Panel to Tackle Chemicals, Waste and Pollution

On 20 June 2025, nations formally pledged to establish a new Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on chemicals, waste, and pollution. The action, by an intergovernmental conference in Punta del Este, Uruguay, is an important step towards international environmental governance. The panel will be hosted at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and will address the increasing menace posed by pollution to the environment and to people's health.

The new board will establish a core gap in global environmental system of the international system by making scientifically policy-relevant recommendations on scientific matters pertaining to chemicals and waste management. Its core activities will include conducting global assessments, mapping data gaps, and regular provision of scientific outputs in formats that enable decision makers to make informed choices based on highly informed options. It will support national capacities, especially developing nations, in enabling appropriate action against pollution and waste.

This comes following an intergovernmental science-policy forum was called for in a UNEA fifth United Nations Environment Assembly resolution held in 2022 to specifically deal with issues of chemical safety, waste, and preventing pollution. Following several rounds of negotiations and working group sessions, the Uruguay accord paves the way for the creation of the panel.

The institution comes at a time when the impacts of the world pollution crisis, as well as climate change and biodiversity loss, are increasing. The three interconnected challenges, or otherwise described as the triple planetary crisis, require robust science foundation in order to inform coordinated global action. With this institution, the new panel is now at the same number as institutions such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

Pollution remains a pressing issue globally. Chemicals used in everyday products and industrial processes have been linked to a wide range of health and environmental problems. Air pollution alone contributes to an estimated 6.5 million premature deaths annually, while modern forms of pollution—including exposure to heavy metals, synthetic chemicals, and electronic waste—have seen a 66% increase in related deaths over the past two decades.

Waste management is also becoming an increasing issue. Municipal solid waste will rise significantly, from 2.1 billion tonnes in 2023 to 3.8 billion tonnes in 2050. The economic implication is also vast with the total cost of waste management being USD 252 billion in 2020. Majority of these costs disproportionately land on the low- and middle-income countries that have weak waste infrastructure and enforcement power.

In exercising independent scientific assessment and anticipating future emerging dangers, the panel will enable "horizon scanning" to identify emerging dangers and trigger early worldwide action strategies. It will achieve this by bridging existing knowledge divides between science and environmental policy formation. Panel structure will help governments to incorporate evidence-based strategies into country policies, ensuring maximum worldwide capacity to act upon pollution and waste challenges.

Another function envisioned for the panel is to trigger public awareness of the role of chemical exposure and uncontrolled waste dumping on health. This will ease building consensus and policy uptake across industries. The panel is also envisioned to enhance action to continue follow-up on progress in existing international agreements including the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) and the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions.
Having completed the setting up process, the last but one step is to organize the first plenary meeting of the panel. Governments have to negotiate and approve a first work programme, determine strategic priorities, and establish working frameworks of cooperation with partner institutions and stakeholders. The opening session will be critical in determining the direction of the panel in the future and the contribution bearing fruit and turning into value for developing and developed nations alike.

Its achievement relies on ongoing international cooperation and mobilization of adequate financial and technical resources. The countries will advance the panel's operations through sponsorship of scientific research, joining expert networks, and integrating the panel's recommendations into their environmental policies.

The setting up of the panel is an important milestone in international multilateral environmentalism, being a demonstration of dedication towards strengthening the management of chemicals and waste worldwide. Although pollution continues to impact ecosystems, economies, and human health, the panel will be instrumental in helping prepare effective, evidence-based policies for prevention and sustainable use.

Source:UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Press Release