Report

Global Chemicals Outlook II: From Legacies to Innovative Solutions

10 April 2019
GCO-II cover page

The Global Chemicals Outlook II – From Legacies to Innovative Solutions: Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, mandated by the UN Environment Assembly in 2016, seeks to alert policymakers and other stakeholders to the critical role of the sound management of chemicals and waste in sustainable development. It takes stock of global trends as well as progress made and gaps in achieving the global goal to minimize the adverse impacts from chemicals and waste by 2020. 

The full Global Chemicals Outlook II is launched electronically on 29 April 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland, at a side event at the meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions. It features the following Parts:

The Synthesis Report was launched on 11 March 2019 at the fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly. A shorter Summary for Policymakers was tabled as a working document of the fourth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly. Both documents are available in all six UN languages. The synthesis report is also available in Vietnamese thanks to the support of the Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Swedish Chemical Agency.

The Global Chemicals Outlook II finds that the global goal to minimize adverse impacts of chemicals and waste will not be achieved by 2020. Solutions exist, but more ambitious worldwide action by all stakeholders is urgently required.

The Global Chemicals Outlook II has been prepared over the past three years through a process involving more than 400 scientists and experts around the world under the guidance of the Steering Committee of the Global Chemicals Outlook II with participation from all regions and a wide range of stakeholders. The report has been developed in response to Governing Council decision 27/12, adopted in 2013, and United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 2/7, adopted in 2016.

For foundation and thematic review papers that informed the chapters of the Global Chemicals Outlook report click here>>

Information on the press coverage of the launch of the Synthesis report is available here>>

For more information on the Global Chemicals Outlook please follow this link