Bonn (dpa/d.de) – Hosted by Germany, the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5) is taking place this week in Bonn. At the conference, representatives of governments, non-governmental organisations, business and science will discuss how chemicals and the way they are handled can be made safer.
Germany’s Environment Minister Steffi Lemke stressed the importance of global agreements: “Besides the climate crisis and the crisis of species extinction, the pollution crisis entails massive challenges for us,” the minister said. “Chemicals and their waste products are the main causes of this third planetary crisis.” During the period 2000 to 2030, the production of chemicals is expected to increase four-fold. To date, the regulations governing the handling of chemicals differ around the world. Lead, a toxic heavy metal, is still used in some regions, for example.
Lemke said she was pleased that Germany was hosting the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5) in Bonn. “In these geopolitically challenging times, it is important for those responsible in the areas of politics, civil society, business and science to sit down at a table to jointly search for solutions.” She described this as a “strong signal for better protecting people and the environment against the harmful effects of chemicals”.
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