Chemicals are essential for continued economic development. Globally, production and trade in chemicals is measured in trillions of dollars. Chemical production or use is a crucial component of virtually every sector of our economies, and all of us in some way come into daily contact with chemicals. Yet, while most of this chemicals are benign in the levels we are usually exposed to them, others present risks to human health or the environment. In the case of chemicals, sustainable development means the continuation of global production and use of chemicals, while at the same time reducing or eliminating unsustainable risks from those chemicals or activities.
Sustainable development requires the global capacity for the sound management of chemicals.
National capacities exist within most industrial countries, but usually to a more limited extent elsewhere. The other facet of global capacity is ensuring that the necessary global actions are taken to address risks that are not captured by national actions alone. Certain aspects of commerce, use, or environmental release of chemicals require concerted global action to ensure risks being sufficiently reduced. Achieving this goal requires a global chemical programme. UNEP Chemicals' Activities UNEP Chemicals promotes sustainable development by catalyzing vital global actions and building national capacities.