image: ©OlyaSolodenko | iStockCountries are gathering in Geneva from 2–6 February for the first plenary session of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (ISP-CWP)
ISP-CWP is part of the formal launch of a new independent scientific body designed to close the current gaps in international efforts to address pollution, hazardous chemicals and waste.
The European Union has played an important role in supporting the creation of the panel and is using the first plenary to reaffirm its commitment to science-based decision-making and multilateral cooperation. ISP-CWP focuses on establishing governance structures, a work programme, and operational rules to guide the panel’s future assessments.
Completing the global science-policy architecture
With its first meeting, the ISP-CWP completes the global architecture of science-policy bodies alongside the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the International Resource Panel (IRP).
Unlike these existing bodies, the new panel is dedicated specifically to chemicals, waste and pollution, which are areas increasingly recognised as critical but under-addressed drivers of environmental and health risks.
The panel’s main mission will deliver authoritative, policy-relevant scientific assessments that governments can rely on when designing regulations and international agreements. Its work is expected to support decision-making across the full lifecycle of chemicals and materials, from production and use to disposal and recycling.
Supporting policy on health, environment and the economy
Pollution and hazardous chemicals are increasingly seen as “silent risk multipliers” that exacerbate climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity and public health challenges.
The ISP-CWP wants clarify these links by synthesising scientific knowledge on the impacts of pollution on human health, ecosystems, climate resilience, and economic sustainability.
Its assessments are also expected to inform ongoing and future international negotiations, including discussions on a global plastics treaty, as well as national and regional policy frameworks. By identifying policy options grounded in evidence, the panel hopes to help governments move from fragmented responses toward coordinated global action.
The EU views the panel as a strategic investment in multilateral cooperation at a time when global environmental challenges are intensifying. The panel’s objectives closely align with key EU initiatives such as the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Circular Economy Action Plan and broader ambitions under the Clean Industrial Deal.
By contributing scientific expertise and regulatory experience, the EU aims to ensure that the panel’s outputs are strong, inclusive and directly useful to policymakers. The Union sees the ISP-CWP as reinforcing the role of facts, transparency and scientific integrity in environmental governance.
A shifting global context
The launch of the ISP-CWP comes after growing uncertainty in international environmental cooperation. In January 2026, the United States announced its withdrawal from several international organisations and conventions, including the IPBES and the IPCC. The EU’s continued engagement signals a clear choice to uphold multilateral science-policy institutions.
At the same time, the EU is also participating in the 12th plenary of IPBES in Manchester, where governments are expected to adopt key decisions, including an assessment on how businesses depend on and impact biodiversity.
Established in June 2025 under the mandate of the United Nations Environment Assembly, the ISP-CWP addresses one of the most critical but also under-supported pillars of the global environmental agenda. Its first plenary lays the institutional foundation for future assessments that aim to turn scientific evidence into effective, inclusive and coordinated global action on pollution.