Photo © Markus Mielek Future Policy Award
Future Policy Award Winners announced:
Future Policy Award 2021 crowns five best policies protecting from hazardous chemicals
Policies from Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Sweden are this year’s winners of the Oscar for best policies
Geneva, Hamburg, Nairobi, Paris, 29th June 2021 – Five inspiring and impactful laws and policies take home the Future Policy Award 2021. The Award, often referred to as the Oscar on Best Polices, is celebrating the most effective policy solutions that minimise the adverse effects of exposure to chemicals on human health and the environment. Two Gold winners and three Special Award winners were selected from 55 nominated policies from 36 countries. This year’s winners are:
Gold Awards
- Kyrgyzstan: Resolution No. 43 on Approval of the Chemical Hazard Classification System and Hazard Information Requirements – Labelling and Safety Data Sheet (2015)
- Sweden, Region Stockholm: Phase-Out List for Chemicals Hazardous to the Environment and Human Health (2012-2016, revised for 2017-2021)
Special Awards
- Special Award “Highly Hazardous Pesticides”: Sri Lanka: Control of Pesticides Act No. 33 (1980, amended in 1994, 2011, 2020) and National Policy and Action Plan on Prevention of Suicide (1997)
- Special Award “Lead in Paint”: Philippines: Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds (CCO, 2013-24)
- Special Award “Environmentally Persistent Pharmaceutical Pollutants”: Colombia: Resolution No. 371 Establishing the elements to be considered in the Management Plans for the Return of Pharmaceutical Products and Expired Medicines (2009).
On 6th July 2021, we will celebrate the winning policies of the Future Policy Award 2021 with a high-level, virtual Award Ceremony. Register at https://www.worldfuturecouncil.org/fpa-2021-ceremony/. Afterwards, the winners will be honoured at the Berlin Forum on Chemicals and Sustainability on 8th July 2021.
The prize is awarded by the World Future Council and is organised this year in partnership with the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP), the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and with the support of the Michael Otto Foundation and the Jua Foundation.
“The lack of sound management of chemicals which are part and parcel of daily life is toxifying our planet and all life on it. It is absolutely imperative to strengthen good governance of chemicals and waste – through effective, inspiring, and innovative laws and policies, such as those represented by the winners of the Future Policy Award 2021. They set a precedent, which hopefully many governments will follow,” says Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), adds “Every year, 1,500 new chemicals enter the market. Many of them have never been properly tested for safety and toxicity and may cause irreversible harm to the health of humans, fauna, flora and ecosystems. The Future Policy Award 2021 winning policies from Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Sweden are all impactful solutions that tackle critical aspects of this global challenge”
It is also important to consider hazardous chemical exposures in the working environment. Workers tend to be exposed to higher doses of chemicals, and over longer periods, increasing their risk of significant health effects. Many work in the informal sector or in sectors where these substances are frequently used with few preventative measures, such as in agriculture or mining. Good policies in the world of work are needed, and the 2021 Future Policy Award winners provide examples of how we can continue to promote occupational safety and health and the sound management of chemicals and waste worldwide. Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) has noted that “It is our duty to reaffirm the right to a safe working environment for all working people[1].”
When choosing the winners from the top candidates, the Future Policy Award jury is guided by a unique approach to policy analysis: the 7 Principles of Future-Just Lawmaking. Jakob von Uexkull, Founder of the World Future Council, explains: “We thoroughly review each policy and ask critical questions: For instance, does the policy provide for public consultation and genuine engagement in the drafting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation processes? Interestingly, while we received nominations for almost all categories of this years’ Future Policy Award, we received none in the category of ‘Chemicals in products’. Much still needs to be done in this field. We are glad to present positive policy examples on a world stage and will work to promote them so they can inspire more ambitious policy action in other countries.”
For more information, please visit
www.worldfuturecouncil.org/chemicals
www.worldfuturecouncil.org/p/hazardous-chemicals
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[1]World Congress on Safety and Health at Work 2017
This project is financially supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the German Environment Agency (UBA):
The publisher is responsible for the content of this publication.
With the support of the Michael Otto Foundation and the Jua Foundation.
Note to Editors
About the Future Policy Award
Every year, the most impactful policies tackling humankind’s most pressing challenges are celebrated through the Future Policy Award, the first and only award that recognizes policies for the benefit of present and future generations on an international level. The aim of the Award is to raise global awareness for exemplary policies and speed up policy action. The World Future Council has awarded this annual prize since 2010 in partnership with UN agencies and the IPU.
About the winning policies for the Future Policy Award 2021
www.worldfuturecouncil.org/chemicals
About the World Future Council
The World Future Council (WFC) works to pass on a healthy and sustainable planet with just and peaceful societies to our children and grandchildren. To achieve this, we focus on identifying, developing, highlighting, and spreading effective, future-just solutions for current challenges humanity is facing, and promote their implementation worldwide. The Council consists of 50 eminent global change-makers from governments, parliaments, civil societies, academia, the arts, and the business world. Jakob von Uexkull, the Founder of the Alternative Nobel Prize, launched the World Future Council in 2007. We are an independent, non-profit organisation under German law and finance our activities with institutional partnerships and donations.
Partners
About the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) & the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)
About the International Labour Organisation (ILO)
About the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
About the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
About the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
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