As one of the milestones of the Sino-German Joint Research on Chemicals Management project, a video conference was organized between the German Environment Agency (UBA), GIZ (SGEP), the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center (FECO) of China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) and the China Solid Waste and Chemical Management Center (SCC) of MEE on the 26th and 27th of October, 2020.

The first day’s exchanges focused on the environmental chemicals regulatory framework in China and Germany/EU. Experts from both sides elaborated the background of relevant policies, management requirements, supporting technical guidance, and also the challenges of the environmental chemicals regulatory framework. Commonalities and differences of the two regulatory frameworks were discussed. Operating experience and perspectives on future challenges were also exchanged in the plenary discussion session.

During day two of the workshop, experts from UBA summarized relevant key findings of the Global Chemicals Outlook II and outlined a selection of relevant conclusions and approaches at all levels by Germany in tackling chemical pollution on a global scale, as well as in making progress toward reaching the Sustainable Development Goals.

The draft version of the joint research report on environmental chemicals management has been reviewed and the next steps and a timeline were discussed during the workshop. The report is expected to be finalized in early 2021.

This workstream is supported and facilitated by the Sino-German Environmental Partnership.