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, 29^th 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 6^th 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 8^th 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