UNEP DTIE Chemicals Branch, with the support of the Government of Sweden and in collaboration with Governments from developed and developing countries, IOMC organizations, other organizations, private sector and civil society, is currently developing a practical way forward on bringing further clarity and policy relevance to the issue of the costs of inaction (COI) on sound management of chemicals (SMC).
- Why a Costs of Inaction Initiative?
There is a widely held view in the international environmental policy community that work to improve the sound management of chemicals (SMC) is a seriously underfunded area of work. This is due to a lack of an emerging global consensus on the costs of inaction on SMC stated in monetized or at least quantitative accounts. There is a lack of global consistency of message on the economic costs of inaction that makes the prioritization of SMC at the national and international levels substantially more difficult.
The aim of this initiative is therefore to raise political awareness of the economic benefit of providing resources to sound management of chemicals, including strengthening the rationale for inclusion of sound chemicals management priorities into national development plans and building capacity for ongoing assessment of the costs of inadequate chemicals management at the national and international levels.
- What the Costs of Inaction Initiative aims to achieve?
The Cost of Inaction Initiative is a four year project that will attempt to produce for the first time a more complete global picture than we have had to date on the costs of inaction on sound chemicals management. The goal is to provide decision makers at all levels of governance with the information necessary to fully consider increasing investments in SMC, consistent with international agreements and decisions and to address national priorities to protect human health, the environment and the sustainability of development.
This section provides detailed information on the Costs of Inaction Initiative, the process of its development, and links to related documents and websites. Click on the links in the section’s map to access specific sub-sections.
The COI Initiative is a four year project with four Modules, as follows:
Module A: Baseline Assessment Report – September 2010 – Present
To uncover, compile, and assess the existing knowledge on the environmental and human health consequences of harmful chemicals. Research will target the work to-date in international agencies, prominent initiatives at the national level, the general literature and the information created at national level in countries in the UNDP-UNEP Partnership Initiative on mainstreaming.
Module B: Blue Ribbon Panel – Late 2011
To convene a blue ribbon panel of experts in the field to develop a peer reviewed approach and methodology to fill the gaps in knowledge identified in Module A.
Module C: Field Level Research – 2012
To apply the approach and methodology developed in Module B to fill the priority gaps in knowledge in all six UN regions.
Module D: Results Dissemination-2014
To devise and implement a strategy to effectively communicate the COI Initiative results into national international political and policy processes.
Next: COI Initiative Steering Committee