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Target 12.4

Chemicals & Waste Management

target 12.4

By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.

Indicator 12.4.1

Number of parties to international multilateral environmental agreements on hazardous waste, and other chemicals that meet their commitments and obligations in transmitting information as required by each relevant agreement.

Countries continue to address air, soil and water pollution, and exposure to toxic chemicals, under the auspices of various multilateral agreements. These include:

  1. The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (Basel Convention);
  2. The Rotterdam Convention on the prior informed consent procedure for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade (Rotterdam Convention);
  3. The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (Stockholm Convention);
  4. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Montreal Protocol);
  5. Minamata Convention on Mercury (Minamata Convention),

Almost all United Nations Member States are party to at least one of these conventions and 157 of them are party to three. Under the current conventions’ obligations, countries are requested to regularly report data and information related to hazardous wastes, persistent organic pollutants and ozone-depleting substances.

SDG 12.4.1 captures the transmission rate in relation to the information submitted by the Parties to the Secretariat of each MEA, as required by each of the agreements.transmission rate is defined as the percentage of all commitments fullfilled in transmitting data and information by a Party as required by each agreement.

Global and Regional Progress

Custodian Agencies

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has been promoting the shift to Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) patterns for the past two decades. It is the custodian agency responsible for 8 out of 12 indicators under SDG 12.

UNEP guides policy development for SCP through its global frameworks, networks, programmes and partnerships, through knowledge-sharing and facilitating access to science, policy guidance, technical tools and best practices.

UNEP contributes to SDG 12.2, “achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources”, by strengthening and communicating the knowledge and scientific base for resource efficiency and SCP. This includes scientific information on natural resource use and “decoupling opportunities” as a basis for evidence-based policymaking.

Additionally, UNEP works on strengthening the sound management of chemicals and waste by supporting parties to the multilateral environmental agreements to meet their respective obligations. This work supports SDG 12.4 ‘achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.’ UNEP also hosts the secretariats for several waste and chemicals-related multilateral environmental agreements and implements initiatives targeting various types of waste, including food waste and hazardous waste and chemicals.

As part of its actions towards SDG 12.6, “Encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle.”, UNEP collaborates with the private sector in partnerships promoting innovation, technological solutions and financing to tackle our most pressing global environmental challenges. UNEP fosters partnerships with business and industry to promote green investments and apply sustainable business practices across value chains. It also promotes and builds capacity in corporate sustainability reporting.

BRS Convention

The BRS Convention aims to protect human health and environment against the effects of hazardous wastes and chemicals, as well as persistent organic pollutants. This responsibility is connected to indicator 12.4.1, which relates to: “the number of Parties to international multilateral environmental agreements on hazardous waste and other chemicals that meet their commitments and obligations in transmitting information as required by each relevant agreement”.

The BRS Secretariat reports on the indicator 12.4.1 using the following parameters to measure progress made by State Parties in achieving environmentally sound management of chemicals and wastes: information that each Party, whatever its national circumstances, has the obligation to transmit to the Secretariat: designated country contacts under each Convention, national implementation plans under the Stockholm Convention, national reports under the Basel and Stockholm conventions and import responses under the Rotterdam Convention.

Responsible for:

Vienna Convention/Montreal Protocol

Along with the BRS Convention and the Minamata Convention, the Montreal Protocol is the custodian agency for SDG 12.4.1, which relates to: “the number of Parties to international multilateral environmental agreements on hazardous waste and other chemicals that meet their commitments and obligations in transmitting information as required by each relevant agreement”.

The phaseout of ozone depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol is an example of ‘environmentally sound management of chemicals’ (SDG 12.4) that has stimulated innovative redesign of products, processes and equipment to use greener chemicals and technologies.

Today, the Montreal Protocol continues to drive the shift towards ‘environmentally sound management of chemicals’ through its Kigali Amendment. Agreed in 2016, the Kigali Amendment introduced controls on high global warming hydrofluorocarbons (HFC)s.

The Montreal Protocol also supports the implementation of SDG 12.3.1.b, which aims to ‘halve per capita global food waste’, through the profound changes in refrigeration and air conditioning that have resulted from the phaseout of ozone depleting substances.

Additionally, the Protocol provides successful practices encouraging shifts to more sustainable practices in companies (SDG 12.6) and individual behaviours (SDG 12.8), and in strengthening science and technology relevant to more sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12.A) by supporting the latest generation of alternative technologies across sectors.

Responsible for:

Minamata Convention

The Minamata Convention on Mercury, as a Multilateral Environmental Agreement with the aim to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury, is compliant with the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development acknowledging States’ respective circumstances and capabilities and the need for global action. Along with the BRS Convention and the Montreal Protocol, it is one of the custodian agencies of SDG 12.4.1: “the number of Parties to international multilateral environmental agreements on hazardous waste and other chemicals that meet their commitments and obligations in transmitting information as required by each relevant agreement”.

An important aspect of the Minamata Convention’s work on SDG 12.4.1 is the reduction of mercury pollution and mercury-containing wastes. It does so by promoting the introduction alternative products, processes and technologies that are mercury-free, cost-effective and in line with best available technology guidelines.

Responsible for:

Guidance material

Metadata
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Metadata 12.4.1

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E-Learning

Online Course: Environmental SDG Indicators

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Technical Tools

Montreal Protocol: Data reporting tools

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Technical Tools

Montreal Protocol: Tool for mixtures and blends containing controlled substances

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Indicator 12.4.2

Hazardous waste generated per capita and proportion of hazardous waste treated, by type of treatment.

Chemicals are part of everyday life. There are over 140,000 different substances used in all economic sectors globally. Their benefits are many and so too are their potential to adversely impact human health and the environment if not properly managed. All countries, but especially developing countries and economies in transition, are facing the complex challenge of managing hazardous waste according to international standards of good practice. As such, action is needed to support the sustainable use of chemicals and environmentally sound management of hazardous waste. Also, there is a rapid increase in the generation of hazardous waste. Hazardous waste is generated from many sources, ranging from industrial manufacturing process waste to domestic items such as batteries and may come in many forms, including liquids, solids, gases and sludge. They can be discarded as commercial products, like cleaning fluids or pesticides or the by-products of manufacturing processes, from Basel Convention (Article 1, paragraph 1(a)). Where most of the conventional hazardous wastes are produced in industrial and manufacturing operations, significant amounts are generated in non-industrial sectors, including sludge from the healthcare sector; waste-water treatment plants, waste oils, and waste batteries.

The indicator includes total hazardous waste generated, hazardous waste generated by type (including e-waste as a sub-indicator) and the proportion of hazardous waste treated through recycling, incineration, landfilling and/or other.

Related SDGs

Global and Regional Progress

Custodian Agencies

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has been promoting the shift to Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) patterns for the past two decades. It is the custodian agency responsible for 8 out of 12 indicators under SDG 12.

UNEP guides policy development for SCP through its global frameworks, networks, programmes and partnerships, through knowledge-sharing and facilitating access to science, policy guidance, technical tools and best practices.

UNEP contributes to SDG 12.2, “achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources”, by strengthening and communicating the knowledge and scientific base for resource efficiency and SCP. This includes scientific information on natural resource use and “decoupling opportunities” as a basis for evidence-based policymaking.

Additionally, UNEP works on strengthening the sound management of chemicals and waste by supporting parties to the multilateral environmental agreements to meet their respective obligations. This work supports SDG 12.4 ‘achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.’ UNEP also hosts the secretariats for several waste and chemicals-related multilateral environmental agreements and implements initiatives targeting various types of waste, including food waste and hazardous waste and chemicals.

As part of its actions towards SDG 12.6, “Encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle.”, UNEP collaborates with the private sector in partnerships promoting innovation, technological solutions and financing to tackle our most pressing global environmental challenges. UNEP fosters partnerships with business and industry to promote green investments and apply sustainable business practices across value chains. It also promotes and builds capacity in corporate sustainability reporting.

UNEP Science Division

  • SDG Unit
  • United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
  • unep-science-sdgs@un.org

United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD)

The United Nations Statistics Division is the custodian agency for Indicators 12.4.2 “Hazardous waste generated per capita, and proportion of hazardous waste treated, by type of treatment” and 12.5.1 “National recycling rate, tons of material recycled”. The UNSD works closely together with partners in the UN coordinating efforts to effectively aid countries to strengthen their national statistical capacities to meet these indicators.

Among other issues, UNSD works towards establishing strong systems for reporting on progress towards 12.4.2 and 12.5.1. It helps countries better understand how waste and hazardous chemicals are generated, collected and recycled, to guide them and other stakeholders in identifying ways to address key waste streams.

The official UN report on progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals is launched in advance of the HLPF deliberations. This report includes an overview of the global progress towards SDG 12 based on its different indicators, which include global, regional and sub regional aggregates. They are calculated from data from national statistical systems, compiled by international agencies, on the basis of their respective mandates and specialized expertise.

Responsible for:

UNSD Environment Statistics

  • United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD)
  • envstats@un.org

Sustainable Cycles (SCYCLE) Programme (UNU/UNITAR)

UNU is the custodian agency for Indicators 12.4.2 “Hazardous waste generated per capita, and proportion of hazardous waste treated, by type of treatment” and 12.5.1 “National recycling rate, tons of material recycled”, along with the United Nations Statistics Division. UNU has several initiatives on SDG 12, mainly centered around building sustainable infrastructure, ensuring efficient use of natural resources, and generating cleaner energy and less waste.

UNU is also heavily focused on its Solving the E-waste Problem initiative, which supports both Indicators 12.4.2 and 12.5.1. Electronic waste is one of the world’s largest and most problematic waste streams, accounting for 47 million metric tonnes of toxic garbage each year. This global initiative aims to dramatically reduce e-waste through policy change, product re-design, re-use, and recycling.

Additionally, UNU’s International Satoyama Initiative supports the implementation if SDG 12.3 by supporting the development of resilient agricultural systems that can respond to system shocks from climate change and that prioritize sustainable resource management.

Responsible for:

Guidance material

Metadata
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Metadata 12.4.2

Download
Guidance

Questionnaire on Environment Statistics

External source
Guidance
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Manual on the Basic Set of Environment Statistics of the FDES 2013 - Generation and Management of Waste

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Guidance

Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics (FDES 2013)

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E-Learning

Online Course: Environmental SDG Indicators

External source

Related resources