International Context for PRTRs

1
International Context for PRTRs

• Jim Willis, Director
• UNEP Chemicals

2
Chapter 19 of Agenda 21

• Emissions inventories/right-to-know referred to
  in several programme areas -
• Programme area C calls on governments and
  intergovernmental organizations to improve
  databases and information systems on toxic
  chemicals, such as emission inventory programmes
• Programme area D calls on governments to adopt,
  on a voluntary basis, community right-to-know
  programmes and reporting on annual routine
  emissions of toxic chemicals to the environment
• Programme area E calls on governments to
  consider adoption of community right-to-know
  programmes

3
Activities since Rio

• OECD Guidance for Governments
• IOMC PRTR Coordinating Group
• IFCS endorsement
• Country-based projects (UNEP, UNITAR)
• UNECE Aarhus Convention
• Regional initiatives, e.g., North America,
  European Union
• Training/workshops/conferences
• WSSD encourages  development of coherent and
  integrated information on chemicals, such as
  through national pollutant release and transfer
  registers 

4
Can PRTRs be relevant to MEAs implementation?

• Montreal Protocol (ozone)
• Rotterdam Convention (PIC)
• Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC)
• Basel Convention (waste)
• Stockholm Convention (persistent organic
  pollutants)

5
Key PRTR Elements

• Community Right-to Know
• Direct Environmental Releases, e.g.,
• Air
• Water
• Underground Injection
• Land
• Wastes, e.g.,
• Off-site releases
• On-site releases

6
Possible MEA Elements where PRTRs can Help

• Emissions inventories
• Materials balance and tracking
• Public information
• Compliance monitoring
• Compliance assistance
• Public/private partnerships

7
Montreal Protocol

• Treaty deals with direct phase-outs of ODSs
• Limited direct usefulness of a PRTR
• A PRTR can provide supporting uses, e.g.,
• Possible compliance monitoring or assurance tool
• A different look i.e. ODS environmental
  releases, as opposed to amounts manufactured or
  used.

8
Rotterdam Convention

• Convention deals with trade in dangerous
  pesticides and industrial chemicals
• Limited direct usefulness of a PRTR
• A PRTR can provide
• Help in getting a broader view of PIC chemicals
  (facility releases)
• Compliance monitoring and assurance
• Stakeholder engagement
• May be related to Article 15 registers

9
Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC)

• Convention deals with global warming
• Covers greenhouse gases, esp. through its Kyoto
  Protocol
• A PRTR can provide
• Release inventories for GHGs
• Targets for clean development and energy
  efficiency opportunities
• Public/stakeholder involvement

10
Basel Convention

• Convention deals with wastes
• Transboundary movements
• Environmentally sound management
• A PRTR can
• Provide materials balance at the facility level
  (e.g., on-site/off-site waste transfers)
• Indicate where facilities can apply waste
  minimization techniques
• Indicate waste management facilities that need
  attention

11
Stockholm Convention

• Convention deals with releases of POPs
• Article 10 paragraph 5 Each Party shall give
  sympathetic consideration to developing
  mechanisms, such as pollutant release and
  transfer registers, for the collection and
  dissemination of information on estimates of the
  annual quantities of the chemicals listed in
  Annex A, B or C that are released or disposed of.

12
Stockholm Convention (2)

• Releases of dioxins/furans
• Release estimates
• Targets for Best Available Techniques and Best
  Environmental Practices (BAT/BEP)
• Facility-related releases of POPs pesticides
• Quantities of POPs in wastes
• Compliance monitoring and assurance
• Targets for research, development and monitoring
  (Article 11)
• Public/stakeholder involvement
• National Implementation Plans (NIPs) (Article 7)

13
Crosscutting Issues

• A single tool can be used for many MEAs in
  addition to national uses
• Can help create a more integrated environmental
  programme
• Resource leveraging
• Building public involvement and stakeholder
  participation
• May also help regional agreements, e.g.,
  Cartegena Convention

14
Funding mechanisms

• Bilateral assistance
• Multilateral fund (ozone)
• Global Environment Facility (Stockholm
  Convention, FCCC)
• PRTRs integrated into projects
•  General Chemicals Management 
• Basel technical cooperation trust fund

15
Summary

• PRTRs should first and foremost be designed
  to meet national priorities, but
• They can also support country goals in
  implementing MEAs
• Stockholm Convention explicitly refers to PRTRs
  and PRTRs should be considered as part of the
  Stockholm Convention NIP
• External sources of funding are likely to be
  extremely limited, and tapping in would require
  imagination and creativity
• Unless a PRTR is a political priority, progress
  is likely to be very limited.