CHEM Trust is a charity working at the UK, EU and International level.
Here is a selection of the work we do within the UK; you can get the latest news on our UK work by looking at all the blogs posts tagged with ‘UK’.
Participating in the UK Government’s Chemicals Stakeholder Forum
The UK Chemicals Stakeholder Forum (UKCSF) advises the UK government on managing risks to the environment and to human health via the environment that may result from the production, distribution and use of chemicals. It has an independent chair, and representatives of different stakeholder groups, including CHEM Trust.
The forum meets quarterly, and the most frequent participant from CHEM Trust is our Head of Advocacy, Dr Anna Watson – who also sits on the steering group for the forum. In addition to participating in the meetings, we have also taken part in subgroups and submitted papers for discussion.
Our team has been involved in the stakeholder forum since it started back in October 2000.
CHEM Trust is an Accredited Stakeholder in UK REACH, with regular status.
Talking to the UK Government
In addition to the Chemicals Stakeholder Forum, we also have other meetings with officials and ministers in various departments and agencies, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department of Health and Social Care. Some of these meetings are jointly attended with other UK NGOs.
UK Chemical Strategy
The UK Government has promised a new Chemicals Strategy to set out its approach for managing chemicals, following the UK’s departure from the EU. The Government and devolved administrations are in the process of developing a strategy that will set out immediate priorities, with a public consultation expected in late 2021.
In May 2021, CHEM Trust wrote to the UK Government, alongside 26 UK public health and environmental NGOs, to outline 12 Key Asks that must be prioritised in the UK’s new chemical strategy. If implemented, these asks would provide strong protection from hazardous chemicals for people, wildlife, and the environment.
The 12 Key Asks highlight a range of actions that need to be implemented:
- Apply the precautionary principle;
- Phase out the most hazardous chemicals from consumer products, for all non-essential uses;
- A plan to address endocrine disrupting chemicals including timelines to phase them out;
- Phase out the use of PFAS and other very persistent chemicals;
- Speed up regulation of harmful chemicals and avoid regrettable substitution by adopting a grouping approach;
- Address the combined exposure to chemicals – the ‘cocktail effect’;
- Maintain and expand on workers’ health and safety;
- Ensure a clean circular economy with products that are safe by design;
- Develop an effective monitoring and alert system;
- Stop the continued accumulation of legacy chemicals in the environment;
- Remain aligned with the world-leading chemical regulation EU REACH;
- Ensure more transparency and use of all relevant science for assessing health risks.
Working with other UK-based organisations
We collaborate with a range of other organisations in the UK, for example:
- We work closely with the Greener UK Coalition of NGOs, including Client Earth and Green Alliance, who campaign to ensure high environmental standards are maintained post-Brexit, and are not weakened as a result of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023.
- We coordinate a group of public health and environment NGOs working on chemical pollution in the UK, including Breast Cancer UK (BCUK), Fidra (a Scottish NGO) Women’s Environmental Network (WEN), the Cancer Prevention & Education Society (CPES), and the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).
- We are active members of Wildlife and Countryside Link.
- We work with the RSPB, Wildfowl and Wetland Trust and others on the lead in ammunition restriction.
- We are supporters of Unchecked UK who are bringing together organisations to make the case for social and environmental protections.
Working with UK Members of Parliament
CHEM Trust works with UK MPs and Peers, responds to UK Government consultations and contributes to UK Parliamentary inquiries.
Read our latest UK policy statements and submissions.
Read our latest blogs on UK policy.
Read our UK policy page.
