The Indian Union Cabinet recently approved the ratification of seven chemicals that are listed under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollitants (POPs). Moreover, the Cabinet has assigned its powers to ratify chemicals under this convention to the Union Ministries of External Affairs (MEA) and Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MEFCC) for a more streamlined procedure.
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
Persistent Organic Pollutants, known as POPs, are identified chemical substances that persist in the environment due to their characteristics. They are less soluble in water and bio-accumulate in the fatty acids in living organisms, causing adverse effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to POPs can lead to severe health issues such as cancer, damage to central & peripheral nervous systems, diseases of the immune system, reproductive disorders, and interference with normal infant and child development. Furthermore, their property of long-range environmental transport (LRET) aids their widespread dispersion in the atmosphere.
The Stockholm Convention
The Stockholm Convention was developed to protect human health and the environment from harmful POPs. The global treaty, which was opened for signature in 2001 in Stockholm, Sweden, became effective in 2004. Thorough scientific research, deliberations, and negotiations among member countries result in the listing of POPs in various Annexes to the Stockholm Convention. The objectives of this convention include supporting the transition to safer alternatives, targeting additional POPs for action, cleaning up old stockpiles and equipment containing POPs, and working together for a POPs-free future.
India ratified the Stockholm Convention in 2006, enabling it to keep itself in a default “opt-out” position, which means that amendments in various Annexes of the convention cannot be enforced on it unless an instrument of ratification/ acceptance/ approval or accession is explicitly deposited with UN depositary.
Recent Cabinet Decision
Under the recently approved ratification, seven chemicals are regulated domestically through the Regulation of Persistent Organic Pollutants Rules. To demonstrate its commitment to providing a safe environment and addressing human health risks, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notified these rules in 2018 under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The regulation prohibits the manufacture, trade, use, import and export of seven chemicals, including Chlordecone, Hexabromobiphenyl, Hexabromodiphenyl ether, and more.
Significance of Ratification
With the Cabinet’s approval for ratification of POPs, India is showing its commitment to meeting its international obligations regarding the protection of the environment and human health. This decision also implies the government’s resolve to take action on POPs by implementing control measures, creating and executing action plans for unintentionally produced chemicals, developing inventories of the chemical stockpiles, and reviewing them.
Ratification would permit India to access financial resources from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Established during the Rio Earth Summit of 1992, the GEF provides funds to developing countries and transition economies for projects related to climate change, biodiversity, the ozone layer, and more. Jointly managed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the GEF acts as a financial mechanism for five major international environmental conventions, including the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
Last Modified: February 9, 2024