The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) invites members of your Society Board and/or your leading nominated experts in sustainable chemistry, chemical waste or chemical pollution science, who could act as ‘ambassadors’ for your society, to join a new ‘RSC SPP Engagement Group’. The first Introductory online meeting of the new Group will be: Wednesday 5 April 2023, 12 – 2pm UK time. Details and link to follow.
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is evolving its work to establish a new intergovernmental panel for chemicals, waste and the prevention of pollution as per UNEA resolution 5/8. The RSC is working together with UNEP and contributing as an Accredited Major Group Stakeholder for the ‘Science & Technology Community’ in the UNEP Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) process.
To inform this process, we would like to engage with relevant science and technology community experts and leaders on key areas as they arise over the next 2 years, prior to the SPP being formed in 2025. This activity can provide you with an opportunity to contribute to the development of global chemicals and waste policy for the prevention of pollution. Areas likely to be discussed are around functions and strategic operations of the SPP, including:
- A conceptual framework
- Prioritisation mechanisms
- Horizon scanning activities
- Conducting assessments
- Managing knowledge
- Facilitating information sharing
- Capacity building
- How scientists will be involved
A ‘Terms of Reference’ document for the new RSC SPP Engagement Group accompanies this invitation letter, as well as ‘Terms of Engagement’. More information will be provided after your membership is confirmed. If you are interested in joining this RSC SPP Engagement Group, and if you would wish to nominate a relevant key expert who could represent your society or bring their individual scientific and technical expertise to this forum, please can you email to express your interest and ask your nominated participants to get in touch and send their contact details. The deadline to respond is Friday 24 March 2023 to be included in the 5 April 2023 introductory meeting, but this invitation is open to all experts who may have relevant expertise to join at any point in the next 2 years. Thank you in advance for your interest and participation.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Helen Pain CSci CChem FRSC
Chief Executive
Royal Society of Chemistry
Burlington House
Piccadilly, London
www.rsc.org
Royal Society of Chemistry – Science Policy Panel Engagement Group (RSC SPP Engagement Group)
Anticipated to be active between April 2023 and April 2025.
Terms of Reference for the Group
This group is established by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) for a period of 2 years to support the RSC’s work on the establishment of a new intergovernmental science policy panel (SPP) for chemicals, waste and the prevention of pollution. It is expected that the SPP will be established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) from 2025. The time for the scientific community to provide input and guidance into the development of the SPP is between 2023 and 2025.
The new SPP is being established by UNEP according to the United Nations Environment Assembly Resolution 5/8. An Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) process has begun, involving UN nation states and other stakeholders from around the world to develop the Objective, Scope and Functions of the new SPP. The RSC is an accredited member of UNEP and is a Major Group Stakeholder representing the ‘Science & Technology Community’ in the OEWG process.
The RSC values engagement with the wider scientific community and will seek to represent the views and perspectives of the chemical sciences community as our work with UNEP progresses. The RSC will aim to represent areas of broad consensus, while also providing insight into areas where there are differences of opinion. Members of the ‘RSC SPP Engagement Group will be invited to participate in several engagement opportunities, using online or hybrid meeting formats, on specific themes that are being discussed by UNEP in the OEWG process. RSC staff will facilitate engagement sessions, request verbal or written views from participants on key themes and prepare a ‘Key points’ document from each engagement session to be shared with participants. Together with other evidence sources, this work will then inform the RSCs work on the SPP at UNEP.
Terms of Individual Member Engagement
This group will comprise of invited individuals who will be expected either to:
i) represent the views of their respective scientific society or
ii) participate as individual experts in their field and represent their own views.
All scientific and technical evidence should be shared in an open and transparent way and be attributed to source. An individual expert may be self-nominated or nominated by their scientific society. A list of participating members of the RSC SPP Engagement Group will be made transparent in the UNEP/OEWG process.
Individual members must share the following information with the RSC within 6 weeks of confirmation of membership:
i) CV, including a 300-word Biography for public use
ii) Photograph
iii) Signed Form A – Declaration of Interests
iv) Signed Form B – Code of Conduct
David Spichiger, SCS
24.03.2023