For more than 12 years, the Global PFAS Group has served as an international platform for information exchange and collaboration on risk management of PFAS. This session will examine the Group’s development, key achievements, ongoing activities and opportunities for future work.

Following an introductory presentation by the OECD, stakeholders will share perspectives on the benefits of participating in the Group, lessons learned from international collaboration, and priorities for future cooperation, knowledge sharing, and collective action on PFAS.

Speakers:

• Eeva Leinala, Principal Administrator, Environment Directorate, OECD
• Representative of the Delegation of Japan
• Greg Carreau, Director General, Safe Environments Directorate, Health Canada
• Steven van der Broeck, Executive Director of Product Stewardship at the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), representing the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA)
• Kei Ohno Woodall, Senior Coordination Officer at the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS)
• Martin Denis, Policy Advisor · Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) to the OECD 

This event will explore technical approaches and practical solutions for addressing PFAS contamination, with perspectives from government, academia, and industry. The discussion will cover the identification and remediation of PFAS-contaminated sites, current remediation technologies and treatment methods, and advances in pollution prevention aimed at reducing future releases.

The session will begin with an overview of the OECD Global PFAS Group’s work on sharing information and experiences related to PFAS-contaminated site identification and remediation. Short presentations from expert speakers will then highlight national experiences, existing remediation approaches, PFAS treatment and destruction technologies, and innovations in pollution prevention. The event will conclude with an open discussion.

Speakers:

• Eeva Leinala, Principal Administrator, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
• Miia Häkkinen, Senior Officer, Nordic Chemicals Program, Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (TUKES)
• Nathalie Buijs, EU and International Policy Officer, Public Waste Agency in the region of Flanders (Belgium) (OVAM)
• Gabriel Sigmund, Associate Professor, Wageningen University
• Leith Watson, Commercial Manager Veolia Environmental Services
• Benjamin Gann, Director Regulatory Affairs, Chemours – International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA)

The IOMC Toolbox for Decision-Making in Chemicals Management hybrid side event will take the form of an interactive implementation clinic, combining short demonstrations with practical discussion on the practical use and of challenges brought by participants.

Participants will explore, together with IOMC experts, which Toolbox management schemes, elements and tools can support practical next steps and how this in turn will support GFC implementation actions and the Implementation Programmes.

13:00–13:05 | Opening

• Jorge Ocana, Manager, Chemicals and Waste Management Programme, UNITAR

13:05–13:15 | GFC IP1 Building Block Guidance

• Alejandra Acosta, consultant

13:15–13:30 | Introduction: Mapping of the IOMC Toolbox

• Valerie Frison, policy analyst, OECD

13:30–13:45 | Live demo: “I want to implement the GHS – where do I start?”

• Ajay Kapoor, Chemicals and Waste Management Programme, UNITAR

13:45–14:00 | Public Health Management of Chemicals and WHO Chemicals Road Map

• Virunya Bhat, Chemicals, Radiation and Health Unit, WHO

14:00–14:10 | Country experience

• Laska Sophal, Director of the Department of Hazardous Substance Management, Cambodia

14:10–14:25 | Panel discussion : Using the IOMC toolbox to support the GFC Implementation

• Moderator: Jorge Ocana
• Panel: Alejandra Acosta, Valerie Frison, Ajay Kapoor, Virunya Bhat, and Laska Sophal

14:25–14:30 | Looking ahead: strengthening the Toolbox for GFC implementation

The assessment of chemicals management options and environmental policies can be considerably improved with better evidence on the costs and benefits of their use.  To understand the net benefits of a given regulation, information on the economic value of both fatal and non-fatal health effects of chemicals exposure is needed. Unfortunately, information on the latter is scarce. Lack of reliable evidence could increase the risk that policies are not set at the appropriate level. OECD’s project on Surveys on Willingness to pay to Avoid Chemicals-related negative Health Effects (SWACHE) aims to fill this gap.

This event will showcase the latest quantitative results from two OECD projects on the economic valuation of chemicals-related health effects and on environmental endpoints.  The results show that individuals are willing to pay significant amounts to reduce their risks of chemicals-related health impacts.  Separately, a recent pilot study also provides new evidence on the value of avoiding biodiversity loss as a result of chemicals exposure.

Speakers: 

• Olof Bystrom, Senior Economist, Environment Directorate, OECD
• Eeva Leinala, Principal Administrator of the Risk Management Programme, Environment Directorate, OECD