A Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) is a publicly accessible database or inventory of chemicals or pollutants released to air, water and soil and transferred off-site for treatment. It brings together information about which chemicals are being released, where, how much and by whom.
|
Countries are taking action against toxic chemicals emitted into air, water and land by industry. How can countries track progress made towards this target? The new OECD report Using PRTR information to evaluate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal 12 looks at Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers data as a means to track toxic releases to monitor chemical pollution to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.4. This tracking system not only enhances transparency and accountability of industry but also measures progress towards SDG target 12.4. The report shows that pollutants have decreased by 47% from 2008 to 2017. This decreasing trend is also found even if the release values are normalised by manufacturing GDP of the countries or if they are converted to the Toxicity Impact Scores. |
a) Global PRTRs
b) PRTR Data Application
c) Release Estimation Techniques
Resource Compendium of PRTR:
This series is divided between two types of publications:
1. COUNCIL ACTS
| 2018 | Recommendation of the Council on Establishing and Implementing Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers | C(2018)5 English - French |
| 2003 | Amendment to the Recommendation of the Council on Implementing Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers | C/(96)41/Final, as amended C(2003)87 |
| 1996 | Recommendation of the Council on Implementing Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers | C(96)41/FINAL - English - French |
2. GUIDANCE MANUALS
a) Global PRTRs
| 2022 | Harmonised List of Pollutants for Global PRTRs | |
| 2014 | Guidance document on element of a PRTR: Part 1 | ENV/JM/MONO(2014)33 |
| 2015 | Guidance document on element of a PRTR: Part 2 | ENV/JM/MONO(2015)45 |
| 2014* | Proposal For A Harmonised List Of Pollutants | ENV/JM/MONO(2014)32 |
| 2013 | Proposals for a Harmonised List or Reporting Sectors | |
| 2001 | Why PRTRs Differ: A Review of National Programmes | ENV/JM/MONO(2001)16 |
*Updated to the 2022 document
b) PRTR Data Application
| 2019 | Uses of PRTR Data and Tools for their Presentation: A Reference Manual | ENV/JM/MONO(2019)35 |
| 2019 | On the Use of PRTR Information in Evaluating Progress Towards Meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: An Action Plan for Analysis and Moving Forward | ENV/JM/MONO(2019)33 |
| 2017 | Framework on the Role of Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs) in Global Sustainability Analyses | ENV/JM/MONO(2017)7 |
| 2013 | Application, Use and Presentation of PRTR Data | ENV/JM/MONO(2013)1 |
| 2000 | Presentation and Dissemination of PRTR Data: Practices and Experiences - Getting the Words and Numbers Out | ENV/JM/MONO(2000)17 |
c) Release Estimation Techniques
| 2013 | Resource Compendium of PRTR Part 1: Summary of Techniques for Point Source | ENV/JM/MONO(2002)20/REV1 |
| 2003 | Resource Compendium of PRTR Part 2: Summary of Techniques for Diffuse Source | ENV/JM/MONO(2003)14 |
| 2017 | Resource Compendium of PRTR Part 3: Summary of Techniques for Estimating Quantities Transferred, Released or Disposed | ENV/JM/MONO(2017)1 |
| 2017 | Resource Compendium of PRTR Part 4: Summary of Techniques for Estimating Releases of Chemicals from Products | ENV/JM/MONO(2017)2 |
| 2017 | Resource Compendium of PRTR Part 4: Summary of Techniques for Releases from Products | ENV/JM/MONO(2017)2/ANN |
| 2014 | Removal/emission predictions of wastewater treatment for exposure assessment and PRTRs | ENV/JM/MONO(2014)16 |
| 2008 | Scoping Study on the Inclusion of Releases and Transfers from Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in PRTRs | ENV/JM/MONO(2008)5 |
| 2008 | Considerations for Ensuring Quality PRTR Data | ENV/JM/MONO(2008)11 |
| 2006 | Comparison of emission estimation methods used in PRTRs and ESDs (Series on Testing and Assessment No. 52) | ENV/JM/MONO(2006)6 |
| 2005 | Framework for Selecting and Applying PRTR Release Estimation Techniques | ENV/JM/MONO(2005)18 |
d) Workshop Reports
| 1999 | Proceedings of the OECD International Conference on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers, PRTRs: National and Global Responsibility - Part 1 | ENV/JM/MONO(99)16/PART1 |
| 1999 | Proceedings of the OECD International Conference on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers, PRTRs: National and Global Responsibility - Part 2 | ENV/JM/MONO(99)16/PART2 |
| 1997 | Workshop for central and EasternEurope and the new independent states of the former Soviet Union, Prague-Pruhonice, Czech Republic, 15-17 January | Summary report |
| 1997 | RTR Workshop for the America’s San Juan del Rio, Mexico, 29-31 July, 1997 | PRTRs: A tool for environmental management and sustainable development |
3. OTHER PUBLICATIONS
| 2000 | PRTR Implementation: Member Country Progress | ENV/EPOC(2000)8/FINAL |
| 1996 | A Tool for Environmental Policy and Sustainable Development - Guidance Manual for Governments |
OECD/GD(96)32 |
Related Documents