The Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers and SAICM Global Plan of Action: Launch of

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The Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer
Registers and SAICM Global Plan of Action
Launch of the online matrix of PRTR
capacity-building activities
Michael Stanley-JonesEnvironmental Information
Management OfficerAarhus Convention
SecretariatSecond International Conference on
Chemicals Management, 11 to 15 May 2009, Geneva
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Kiev Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer
Registers

• First legally binding international instrument
  "to enhance public access to information through
  the establishment of coherent, nationwide
  pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs),
  adopted at the fifth Environment for Europe
  Ministerial Conference in Kiev in May 2003"
• Expected to exert significant downward pressure
  on levels of pollution, as no company wants to be
  identified as among the biggest polluters and
  facility-specific information about releases and
  transfers provides feed-back to decision-makers,
  contributing to improved environmental
  performance

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Kiev Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer
Registers

• Assist Governments to collect and disseminate
  information on emissions of greenhouse gases and
  hazardous substances, contributing to the fight
  against global warming and toxic chemicals, which
  pose the most significant threats to the global
  environment and human health
• Stockholm Convention POPs and Kyoto Protocol GHGs
  included
• Protocols facility-specific reporting
  requirement
• With 14 of the 16 ratifications by member States
  needed for entry into force, the Protocol is
  expected to enter into force in 2009
• European Community is a Party through EU PRTR
  Regulation European PRTR release on 30 September
  2009

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International activities

• ECE serves as secretariat to the International
  PRTR Coordinating Group working with UNEP,
  UNITAR, OECD, European Commission, North American
  Commission on Environmental Cooperation, Regional
  Environmental Centers and donor Governments
  (Canada, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, UK and USA)
  to develop national PRTRs in more than 50
  countries
• ECE a partner in the Global Environment Facility
  (GEF) PRTR project on persistent organic
  pollutants (POPs), supporting development of
  national PRTRs in 6 countries of Central and
  South Asia, Eastern Europe and South America

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PRTRs and the SAICM Global Plan of Action (GPA)

• Possible work areas and associated activities
  nos. 124126, 177180
• Design process
• Mechanisms
• Guidance
• Framework
• Political consensus
• Dissemination
• Harmonizing performance

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PRTR capacity-building activities matrix online

• Launch of PRTR matrix in the Aarhus
  Clearinghouse for Environmental Democracy
• http//aarhusclearinghouse.unece.org

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For more information

• International PRTR Coodinating Group
• http//www.unece.org/env/pp/prtr.htm
• E-mail aarhus.clearinghouse_at_unece.org