New Pardee Paper on Hazardous Chemical Management Released

A new paper titled Managing Hazardous Chemicals: Longer-Range Challenges was recently published by the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future. The fifth paper in The Pardee Papers series, it was written by Pardee Research Fellow Henrik Selin, Assistant Professor in Boston University’s Department of International Relations.

In this paper, Selin reviews current methods of regulating the use and disposal of hazardous chemicals at national and international levels and calls for new guidelines and approaches, including the development of less harmful alternatives. The paper argues that improving global chemicals management is a significant sustainable development issue, involving many longer-range challenges. This paper examines some of these challenges. It begins by describing hazardous chemicals as a longer-range problem. This is followed by an outline of the global policy framework for managing hazardous chemicals. Next, the paper discusses four sets of management challenges for better environmental and human health protection: 1) Enhancing ratification and implementation of existing regulations; 2) Expanding risk assessments and controls; 3) Improving management capacity and raising awareness; and 4) Minimizing generation of hazardous chemicals and wastes. Furthermore, the paper argues that the adoption of more proactive and precautionary policies and management approaches is ultimately needed to achieve necessary environmental and human health protection standards. While some
such policy and regulatory changes are under way in the European Union and other regions, they are not yet sufficiently reflected in international law.

You may download a PDF of this paper or request a hard copy, free of charge, by emailing pardee@bu.edu.