industry and environment - DTIE

Chemicals management
Integrated chemical management:
dream or reality in the developing world?
Laurraine H. Lotter, Executive Director, Chemical and Allied Industries’ Association, PO Box 91415, Auckland Park, 2006 Republic of South Africa
(caia@iafrica.com)
Summary
South Africa’s chemical industry has changed significantly in the last ten years. Representatives
of government, industry and labour are currently developing a national strategy to improve the
industry’s global competitiveness. Chemical management is one of the areas addressed. Ways
to develop more integrated approaches to implementation of international chemicals control
initiatives are described in this article. Implementing the Globally Harmonized System of Classification
(GHS) will be a challenge for both developing and developed countries.However, the
GHS is a sound starting point for an integrated approach to chemical management.
Résumé
L’industrie chimique d’Afrique du Sud a considérablement évolué depuis dix ans. Des représentants
du gouvernement, de l’industrie et des travailleurs ont entrepris d’élaborer une stratégie
nationale pour améliorer la compétitivité globale du secteur. Parmi les aspects abordés figure
la gestion des produits chimiques. L’article décrit les pistes possibles pour élaborer des
approches plus intégrées de la mise en œuvre des initiatives internationales de réglementation
des produits chimiques. Mettre en pratique le Système général harmonisé (SGH) pour la classification
des produits chimiques est une gageure pour les pays en développement comme pour
les pays développés. Mais c’est un bon point de départ pour une approche intégrée de la gestion
des produits chimiques.
Resumen
La industria química de Sudáfrica ha cambiado considerablemente en los últimos diez años.
Diversos miembros del gobierno, la industria y el sector laboral se encuentran formulando una
estrategia nacional para mejorar la competitividad mundial de la industria; la gestión de sustancias
químicas es uno de los temas incluidos en dicha estrategia. Este artículo describe diversas
vertientes para el desarrollo de enfoques más integrales orientados a la ejecución de
iniciativas para el control internacional de las sustancias químicas. La aplicación del Sistema
Mundial Armonizado de Clasificación (GHS) representa un desafío tanto para los países en
desarrollo como para los países desarrollados. Sin embargo, el GHS es un punto de partida
firme hacia la gestión integral de sustancias químicas.
The South African chemical industry is dominated
by local companies. They developed
from the industry’s historical base in the
provision of explosives for the mining industry,
followed by the production of nitrogen-based fertilizers
and sulphuric acid. The strategic decision
in the 1950s to adopt the Fischer-Tropsch process
to derive oil from coal on a large scale led to the
foundation of a significant polymer industry.
Although it is relatively small by international
standards, South Africa’s chemical industry contributes
around 5% national gross domestic product
and employs approximately 150,000 people.
Annual production of primary and secondary
process chemicals is in the order of 13 million
tonnes, with a value of around 18 billion rand.
The industry is the largest of its kind in Africa.
Since 1994 the chemical industry has undergone
a significant transformation to meet the
challenges posed by the opening up of the economy.
Re-entry into the international community
has entailed a number of challenges in all areas of
environmental management, including the sound
management of chemicals.
The government has identified the chemical
industry as having potential for growth in a range
of subsectors (e.g. downstream beneficiation of
domestic raw materials). Representatives of government,
the chemical industry and organized
labour are engaged in developing a national strategy
to improve the industry’s global competitiveness.
Such a strategy would not be complete if it
did not include the issue of chemical management.
In view of the competitive imperative to manage
chemicals safely, stakeholders have agreed that
some key elements with respect to this topic
should be included in the agreement on a national
strategy for the country’s chemical industry.
International initiatives
At the international level, the chemical industry
is one of the world’s most highly regulated industries.
Among other factors, the global industry’s
competitiveness depends on demonstrating the
ability to implement international initiatives at
the national level.
Recent global developments indicate that there
is increasing demand in multilateral fora for more
integrated approaches to chemicals management.
Delegates to the first Preparatory Meeting for the
Development of a Strategic Approach to International
Chemicals Management (SAICM) in
Bangkok in November 2003 emphasized the need
for more harmonized approaches to chemical
management. 1
International commitments can be broadly
divided into two categories: legally binding obligations
and other international initiatives.
Legally binding obligations include:
◆ the Chemical Weapons Convention; 2
◆ the Convention against the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic
Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. 3
◆ the Montreal Protocol; 4
◆ the Stockholm Convention on POPs; 5
◆ the Rotterdam Convention on prior informed
consent. 6
Other international initiatives include:
◆ the Bahia Plan of action endorsed at the World
Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in
Johannesburg; 7
◆ ILO Conventions on safe use of chemicals; 8
◆ the Globally Harmonised System of Classification
and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS); 9
◆ various capacity building initiatives.
It is clear that a number of potential synergies
exist among these initiatives. For example, classification
and labelling is required in order to implement
mechanisms for regulating chemicals. Thus,
the GHS can be seen as an initiative underpinning
many others.
All international initiatives require countries to
prepare and present national positions at international
meetings, and to submit implementation
reports to the appropriate secretariats. Many initiatives
require control of transboundary movements
of chemicals.
All these initiatives can be contextualized in
some way within national strategies. For example,
phasing out specific pesticides should be seen as
an integral part of good agricultural practice
(which, in turn, is becoming increasingly important
to promote market access).
Responsibility for implementing international
initiatives often rests with national entities, which
have a narrow mandate and do not necessarily perceive
international obligations related to chemicals
in the context of the national imperative – for
UNEP Industry and Environment April – September 2004 ◆ 19