In May 2021, the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions and the Minamata Convention jointly published “Interlinkages between the Chemicals and Waste Multilateral Environmental Agreements and Biodiversity – Key insights”. The publication highlighted that pollution is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss. Chemicals and waste are ubiquitous in the environment and found in all parts of the globe, and global production and distribution of chemicals-based products continues to increase. The reduction and elimination of pollutants will therefore be an essential objective of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. The Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Minamata conventions address some of the most significant chemicals and waste pollution that has been identified over the last several decades and are thus contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and will provide an essential contribution to the implementation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

The joint side event on biodiversity and chemicals and waste will put spotlight on the strong link in the sound management of chemicals and waste and biodiversity.