Analysis of how the regulatory landscape can support the transition to safer and sustainable chemical alternatives

化学品在促进社会发展方面发挥着核心作用，每天都有数千种物质在使用。随着我们对化学品的使用不断增加，有关环境中有害化学品的科学和政策也在不断发展，包括高度关注物质（SVHCs）、持久性、生物蓄积性、有毒物质（pbt）和持久性有机污染物（POPs）。人们普遍认为，有必要用更可持续的替代品来替代有害化学品。虽然诸如斯德哥尔摩这样的国际公约承认替代品应该包括化学和非化学替代品，但重要的是要认识到绿色化学的作用，以及如何在不损害环境的情况下设计化学品以满足技术功能。化学调节是这一过程的关键驱动因素，但对调节在决策中的作用知之甚少。这包括现有法规是否也无意中推动或加剧了令人遗憾的替代（用一种有害化学物质替换另一种有害化学物质）；监管能做些什么来更好地帮助巩固绿色化学的基础和更可持续的化学品进入主流使用？本项目将探讨导致令人遗憾的替代的决策过程，以及现有立法在推动或加剧这种决策方面发挥的作用。它还将评估绿色化学原理如何能够提供更好的过渡。这将包括制定核心绿色化学原则以及如何将其纳入立法。

Chemicals play a central role in enhancing society with thousands of substances in use every day. As our use of chemicals has grown, so has the science and policy around hazardous chemicals in the environment, including Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs), Persistent, Bioaccumulative, Toxic (PBTs) and Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). There is broad acceptance that there is a need to substitute harmful chemicals for more sustainable alternatives. While international Conventions such as Stockholm recognises that the alternatives should include both chemical and non-chemical alternatives, it is important to recognise the role of green chemistry, and how chemicals can be designed to meet technical function without harming the environment. Chemical regulation is a key driver in this process, but less is known about the role of regulation in decision making. This includes the questions of whether the existing regulation also unintentionally drives or exacerbates regrettable substitution (swapping one harmful chemical for another); and what can regulation do better to help cement the fundamentals of green chemistry and more sustainable chemicals into mainstream use. This project will explore the decision-making processes that leads to regrettable substitution, and what role does the existing legislation play in driving or exacerbating that decision-making. It will also assess how green chemistry principles could have provided a better transition. This will include developing core green chemistry principles and how they could be incorporated into legislation.