Improvement of the environmental performance of the foam sector: Phase out and management of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)  in China To improve the environmental performance of the foam sector in China through the phaseout, introduction of HBCD alternatives and environmentally-sound management of HBCD-containing EPS/XPS foams. Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency. 152. This project’s socioeconomic benefits pertain multiple aspects, contributing to a) a more sustainable development of the flame retardants industry in China, b) the overall well-being of Chinese residents, as well as c) an improved gender equality situation within relevant companies and local community. On the national level, this project can first and foremost assist with the restructuring of the flame retardants industry. By working closely with existing HBCD and EPS/XPS manufacturing companies, this project will strongly incentivize and encourage existing companies to shift to produce and use HBCD alternative in their production. This contributes to a sustained ability to produce flame retardants within China, by companies that already have production lines and production abilities in place, minimizing the impacts of a complete HBCD phase-out on Chinese industries. Consequently, the industrial sectors such as HBCD, EPS and XPS and related construction industries will get sustained and potential development.153. In addition to a sustained development of the flame retardants industry, this project can also contribute to the overall well-being of Chinese residents. By encouraging companies to produce POPs-free flame retardants, this project can help reduce significantly Chinese citizens’ chances of HBCD exposure. Flame retardants such as EPS and XPS are widely used in office and residential buildings as insulation materials. By incentivizing existing companies in this business to produce HBCD-free insulation materials, this project also promotes the overall health and well-being of Chinese residents, due to the potential, chronological health hazards of HBCD on human’s health. Besides, as an integral part of this project, activities aimed to raise awareness of the health hazards of HBCD and POPs in general will also better inform the general public about common knowledge of persistent organic pollutants, which in turn shapes their attitudes and consumption behaviors towards products that contain POPs. 154. On a local level, this project improves gender equality within companies and local communities. This project adopts the gender mainstreaming strategy to take into considerations of both men and women’s experiences, concerns, and needs. Setting targets for improving female participation in training in this project, as well as the enlargement of female participation in decision making, this project contributes to an improved condition of gender equality within existing companies. Furthermore, working to keep existing companies in business is also to some extent a cause of welfare for local communities. This is because our field research shows that most female workers in existing HBCD and EPS/XPS companies are from relatively lower social standings and are more vulnerable towards changes in employment prospects, working for these companies is a means to socially empower them.155. Seen together, this project supports the achievement of global environment benefits in the following ways. Globally, China is the largest HBCD producing country and one of the largest producing countries of EPS and XPS. This project will hence ensure a sustained supply of POPs-free flame retardants globally. Hence, this project not only helps contribute to the overall HBCD emission reduction in China, but also to a global POPs emission reduction. By working with existing companies that either produce HBCD alternatives (which make up the crucial raw materials of flame retardants) or use these alternatives in their production of EPS and XPS, this project also ensures the availability of adequate insulation materials for office and residential buildings that are free of POPs. Consequently, it helps to contribute to energy saving nationally and globally.