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Nearly half of the world’s population faces water shortages. United Nations: Focus on more environmentally friendly policies

The United Nations today released its 2018 World Water Development Report, estimating that nearly half the world's population, 3.6 billion people, live in areas where they experience at least one month of water shortage annually. The report warns that this number could rise to 5.7 billion by 2050. UNESCO Secretary-General Audrey Azoulay, speaking in Brasilia, Brazil, said, "If we do nothing, approximately 5 billion people worldwide will face a water crisis by 2050." She added, "The report proposes nature-based solutions to strengthen water resource management. This is a crucial task that everyone must take responsibility for to avoid water-related conflicts." Lead author Richard Connor stated, "Many cases show that more ecosystem-friendly forms of water storage, such as natural wetlands, improved soil moisture, and more effective groundwater recharge, are more sustainable and effective than traditional man-made infrastructure such as dams." The report points out that green solutions have demonstrated significant potential. To download the World Water Development Report 2018, please visit: http://www.unwater.org/publications/world-water-development-r

Chemicals remain the second largest product risk in the EU

For the second consecutive year, hazardous chemicals in products such as toys and clothing have become the second largest health and safety risk in the EU market. According to the 2017 EU Rapid Alert System for Non-Food Consumer Products (RAPEX) report, notifications of hazardous products containing hazardous chemicals accounted for 22% of all product notifications. In the 2016 RAPEX report, hazardous chemicals accounted for 23%, making it the second largest product risk for two consecutive years. The report indicates that in 2017, there were 544 reported cases of excessive levels of hazardous chemicals, with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, and Denmark being the top three countries with the most such notifications. The following five categories of products were the most frequently reported to contain excessive levels of hazardous substances: – Toys (29%); – Motor vehicles (20%); – Clothing, textiles, and fashion products (12%); – Electronic and electrical products (6%); and – Childcare products and equipment. Mainland China remains the country with the most reported hazardous products, accounting for 52.4% of all hazardous product notifications. Please refer to the attachment for the full report: 2017_Report_EU_Rapid_Alert_System_for_dangerous_non-food_products. Source: Chemical Watch (2018-03-13)

Walmart’s hazardous materials disclosure policy will be consistent with California law

Walmart, the largest retail chain in the United States, recently updated its material disclosure policy. This update aligns its policy with California's hazardous substances regulations, requiring all suppliers to comply. In 2013, Walmart began informing its upstream suppliers that they must disclose information about hazardous substances in their products online starting in 2015, and that information must be displayed on product labels starting in 2018. Currently, Walmart's hazardous substances list includes regulations from 22 international countries. Starting this year, Walmart has further incorporated hazardous substances regulated by California's Cleaning Product Right to Know Act into its disclosure policy. All cleaning product suppliers whose products comply with California's Cleaning Product Right to Know Act will also meet Walmart's hazardous substances disclosure requirements. Walmart's disclosure requirements cover all "chemical composition" for consumer products sold in the following categories: – Health and beauty products; – Household paper products; – Pet supplies; – Household chemical products; – Cosmetics and skincare products; – Baby and toddler products. Source: Chemical Watch

The EU has developed an action plan to reduce hazardous substances in products and waste.

Europe has recently announced a series of action plans to address the issues related to hazardous substances in products and waste. These plans are incorporated into the EU's circular economy initiative, which includes a review of existing directives and regulations related to chemicals, products, and waste to ensure they align with the EU's future plastics policy and circular economy principles. Over the past year, the European Commission reviewed directives and regulations related to waste management, chemicals, and products, identifying four key issues that must be addressed in promoting a circular economy. One key issue is transparency regarding hazardous substances. The European Commission plans to complete a feasibility study on an innovative information system by 2019, evaluating a new traceability technology to track the history of hazardous substances in the finished product supply chain, encompassing the use of initial raw materials and final recycling. Simultaneously, the European Commission will establish testing and inspection procedures for imported products to ensure that no hazardous substances are added during the production process. II. Legacy Substances Legacy substances are hazardous substances that were already present in products before the implementation of chemical substance bans, but due to current recycling regulations, the recycled products contain hazardous substances exceeding the limits set by current chemical substance requirements. These legacy hazardous substances may jeopardize the current recycling system, creating a risk of hazardous substances exceeding the limits in recycled materials. Therefore, the European Commission plans to complete the establishment of a specific [system/mechanism] by 2019.

Studies have found that flame retardants in furniture can increase the toxicity of smoke.

A UK study on the use of chemical flame retardants in furniture has found that these retardants can increase the toxicity of smoke, potentially posing a greater risk to human health than their ability to slow the spread of fire. In this study, experts used furniture fabrics with different added flame retardants and compared the effects of fire spread and smoke toxicity on human health in a fire. Of the four sofa beds in the study, three met the UK Furniture Flammability Regulations (FFR), while the other met the EU's requirements for flame retardant-free fabrics. Of the three FFR-compliant sofa beds, two used different types of chemical flame retardants that were FFR compliant, while the third was made entirely of natural materials and employed a special weaving technique to meet FFR flammability requirements. In actual combustion tests, it was found that compared to an EU sofa bed without added flame retardants, the British sofa bed with added chemical flame retardants took longer to ignite. However, during the period before the sofa bed ignited, the sofa bed with added chemical flame retardants produced large amounts of toxic gases such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide when heated. Tests assessing the risk of disability and death from the combustion gases revealed that the gases produced by the two chemical flame retardants caused the greatest harm to humans, with the EU sofa bed without added chemical flame retardants ranking second. However, sofa beds made entirely of natural materials and using special weaving techniques that meet the UK's FFR flammability requirements also had a shorter ignition speed.

EU REACH Announcement Adds 7 Substances of High Concern and Updates the Reasons for the Inclusion of Bisphenol A

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on January 15, 2018, 7 new substances of very high concern (SVHC). There are currently a total of 181 substances of very high concern (SVHC) in the Candidate List for authorization. At the same time, ECHA also updated the reasons for the inclusion of bisphenol A into SVHC and added a new classification basis for endocrine disrupting substances (environmental). The Chinese and English names, CAS No., reasons for inclusion in SVHC and examples of uses of the 7 new substances are summarized in the attachment. For the overall SVHC list, please refer to the ECHA official website. EU REACH will include chemical substances that may cause serious impact to the human body or the environment on the candidate list of substances of high concern for authorization, and may further designate them as authorized substances. Once a substance becomes an authorized substance, companies must obtain authorization for use before they can continue to use it after a specific period. Domestic manufacturers should take corresponding measures, evaluate product ingredients, and activate safety alternative assessment and supply chain communication mechanisms. For substances of high concern, businesses should pay special attention to REACH’s finished product notification and supply chain communication regulations: [Applicable conditions for notification regulations] Those who meet the following four descriptions at the same time; 1. The substance is a substance of high concern that may be included in the authorization (Article 57) ; and 2. The annual total amount of substances of high concern in the finished products of an individual manufacturer or importer exceeds 1 ton; and 3. The concentration of substances of high concern in the finished products exceeds 0

EU prepares to introduce comprehensive microplastic restrictions

The European Commission recently asked the Chemical Agency (ECHA) to prepare a restriction document for Annex XV of REACH, which is expected to restrict intentionally added plastic particles in all consumer products and products for professional use. This requirement is a major focus of the EU's plastics policy, which hopes to reduce the use of plastic particles (plastics with a diameter of less than 5mm) through legislation. Plastic policy is one of the five priorities of the EU action plan to promote circular economy. The focus is to promote the goal of all plastic packaging materials in the EU single market to be recyclable by 2030 and to reduce the use of single-use plastics. ECHA will collect opinions from stakeholders in the first quarter of 2018 to conduct a socio-economic assessment study, and is expected to submit a microplastic restriction document within one year. Microplastic pollution has become a major problem. Although some are intentionally added to products, most are released unintentionally. It is estimated that approximately 3 million tons of microplastics are released into the environment in the EU every year. In its plastic policy, the European Commission has set out measures to combat microplastics, including strengthening supervision and tracking of marine plastic pollution. The European Commission also plans to target specific industries with labeling standards and minimum microplastic release requirements, hoping to comprehensively reduce microplastics entering the environment. These industries include the tire industry, textile industry and painting industry. Recent research shows that there are traces of microplastics in the air, food and even drinking water. The possible negative impact of these microplastics on the human body is still unknown, so the European Commission

Information reveals progressive corporate sustainability reports: 74% show positive growth.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)'s latest "Reporting Matters" report shows considerable progress in sustainability reporting by the world's leading companies. This sustainability report, covering 157 member companies from 20 industries and 35 countries, indicates significant advancements in corporate reporting in terms of financial statements and information disclosure, and a gradual shift towards digital reporting. This year, 74% of the corporate reports reviewed by Reporting Matters received a higher overall score than the 2013 baseline year, and 79% of the reports acknowledged the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in some way. On September 25, 2015, governments worldwide established 17 Sustainable Development Goals to eradicate poverty, protect the planet, and ensure equitable distribution of wealth. The deadline for achieving these 17 goals is 2030. The new report shows that 44% of companies are now publishing not only traditional PDF reports but also online reports, a better performance than the 23% when the World Commission on Sustainability first began tracking company reports in 2014; 34% of company reports combine financial and non-financial information, up from 23% in 2013, with 22% of those using the International Integrated Reporting Framework. 27

Denmark asks the EU to help close the microplastics knowledge gap

The Danish government has strongly urged the European Commission to help bridge the knowledge gap regarding microplastics when formulating future EU plastics policies. The Danish government stated that for microplastic reduction targets to be successfully achieved, the European Commission must strengthen knowledge dissemination regarding microplastics. Only with a strong knowledge base can plastics strategies be effectively implemented. The negative environmental impacts of microplastics and the process by which plastics break down into microplastics in natural and artificial water systems need to be revealed and disseminated to the general public. Currently, the general public's understanding of the sources of microplastics is limited to microbeads added to personal care products. However, in reality, microplastics originate from plastic products and gradually break down into plastics during use and after disposal, entering the environment and water bodies. Therefore, knowledge about microplastics must not only include their sources but also clearly explain their impacts to raise public awareness of the potential environmental damage caused by microplastics. In addition to disseminating knowledge about microplastics to the public, the Danish government also points out that in order to build a new plastics value chain, industry needs a deeper understanding of microplastics, and the European Commission needs to develop a regulatory framework to require companies to comply with the EU's planned plastics policy. The Danish government recommends the following measures be incorporated into EU plastics policy: • Banning microbeads in personal care products; • Gradually limiting the addition of harmful additives and ingredients to plastics; • Enabling the general public to work together to reduce plastic pollution; • Reducing general solid waste...

EU Revises Scope of RoHS 2 Directive

On November 21, 2017, the European Union promulgated a new "Directive 2017/2102" in the Official Journal to amend the scope of regulation of "Directive 2011/65/EU" (RoHS 2 Directive). The RoHS 2 directive imposes restrictions on the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. The new directive mainly targets the operations of the secondary market for electrical and electronic equipment, including repair, parts replacement, refurbishment, reuse and transformation. EU legislators believe there is a need to assist the operation of such secondary markets in order to promote a "circular economy". "Circular economy" is a concept that has emerged in recent years. The purpose is to extend the added value of products as much as possible. Even if the products have reached the end of their life, these products or their parts can still be reused, thus reducing waste. The RoHS 2 Directive allows electrical and electronic equipment that is not regulated by Directive 2002/95/EC (RoHS 1 Directive) but does not comply with the provisions of Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS 2 Directive). On the market until July 22, 2019. After that date, electrical and electronic equipment that violates the RoHS 2 directive will be banned whether it is placed on the market for the first time or for the second time. However, EU legislators now believe that banning the operation of the second market is inconsistent with the general principles behind relevant EU measures, including the circular economy, and therefore needs to be reconsidered. Therefore, the new directive states that if recycling takes place within an auditable, closed-loop business-to-business recycling system and the consumer is informed of the parts

Creating Green Stars for SMEs and Ushering in a New Era of Sustainability

In its 1987 report, *Our Common Future*, the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) defined sustainable development as "development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs," thus introducing the concept of sustainable development to the world for the first time. In 2016, the United Nations also adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as guidelines for sustainable development over the next 15 years. In response to this trend, the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration (SMEA) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs launched the "SME Green Little Giant Mentoring Program," guiding Taiwanese SMEs to shift their business mindset towards "green innovation," building economic development on a foundation of environmental sustainability, and empowering businesses to exert influence and become a positive force for change. In 2017, the program supported 21 companies, who have created numerous green miracles, implementing sustainable development in food, clothing, housing, transportation, education, and entertainment, becoming a new development path for businesses and pioneering new avenues for business operations. Green sustainability begins with proactive planning. It starts with proactive corporate planning, gradually leading to innovative thinking and action. Sustainable development is no longer just a slogan; these SMEs are taking concrete actions to protect the environment: Island Learning combines ecology and tourism, launching low-carbon tourism experiences like exploring green islands.

The circular fiber report calls for the establishment of a new textile economy.

According to a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF), every second, the amount of clothing discarded by humans could fill a garbage truck. Therefore, the EMF's Circular Fibers Initiative published a sustainability report to promote a new textiles economy, strongly supported by industry leaders including H&M and Nike, based on circular economy principles. The report points out that globally, less than 1% of textile products are recycled and reused, representing an estimated $100 billion worth of materials wasted annually. Even in Germany, where textile recycling rates are high, most recycled textiles are exported to countries without recycling infrastructure, resulting in further waste. The textile industry primarily consumes non-renewable resources, accumulating over 98 million tons of raw materials annually. These non-renewable resources include petroleum-derived synthetic fibers, fertilizers used to grow cotton, and chemicals used in the manufacture, dyeing, and finishing of fibers and fabrics. Carbon emissions are also a very important environmental issue for the textile industry. In 2015, the global textile industry emitted a staggering 1.2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, far exceeding the combined carbon emissions of the international aviation and shipping industries that year.

SC Johnson disclosed on its website the skin allergens added to its products.

SC Johnson, a leading multinational consumer goods brand, announced in mid-2017 that it would begin fully disclosing a list of additives in all its products that could cause skin allergies starting in 2018. Now, on the eve of 2018, SC Johnson has completed its online information disclosure system, listing 368 additives in all its products that may cause skin allergies. These products include SC Johnson's brands Glade, Pledge, Mr. Muscle, and Raid, with certain allergens directly listed in product information for consumers to check. SC Johnson CEO Fisk Johnson stated that although the industry uses largely similar product ingredients, SC Johnson has chosen to increase the transparency of its product information and disclose the list of additives that may cause skin allergies to ensure consumers make informed purchasing decisions, thus protecting consumers' right to know. This initiative is SC Johnson's latest product information transparency enhancement plan; prior to this, SC Johnson had already launched a project to disclose information on product ingredients and fragrance additives. In recent years, the US consumer market has begun to emphasize product information transparency, with many NGOs uniting consumers to demand that companies disclose the ingredients added to their products to protect consumers' right to know. While consumer product brands are increasingly disclosing product ingredients, it is also crucial for manufacturers to ensure transparency.

A random inspection in Norway found that more than 40% of sporting goods contained harmful substances.

The Norwegian Environment Directorate (ED) sampled 44 sports and leisure products on the market and found that over 40% of the items contained environmental pollutants, and more than one-fifth of the products had hazardous substance levels exceeding permitted limits. The ED stated that these products must be removed from the market. The sampled products included sports gloves, slippers, yoga mats, phone cases, and wallets. The tests revealed DEHP and short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs). SCCPs were banned by Norwegian authorities in 2002. Environment Minister Mathieu Veulemans stated that finding these environmentally harmful chemicals in widely used sports and leisure products is a very serious wake-up call. DEHP and SCCPs are both hazardous substances on Norway's National Priority Restricted Chemicals List, commonly referred to as the "criminal list," which lists more than 30 substances with persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) or very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) properties and endocrine disrupting characteristics. The hazardous chemicals on this list will be gradually restricted by 2020. Source: Chemical Watch (December 15, 2017) (Compiled by PIDC)

The EU promotes circular economy by restricting hazardous chemicals and encouraging safe alternatives

On December 2, 2015, the European Commission launched the "Closing the Loop – An EU action plan for the Circular Economy," prioritizing the transition from a linear economy to a circular economy. The circular economy involves recycling and reusing products and materials, giving them new uses. The EU has subsequently published implementation reports on the action plan, established a circular economy funding assessment system to encourage investment and innovation, published guidelines on waste recycling, and proposed draft RoHS amendments and impact analysis reports for the management of hazardous chemicals in electrical and electronic equipment. It is clear that the EU considers excluding hazardous chemicals from the circular economy a top priority. To support the EU's circular economy policy, the CEO of ECHA, the governing body of REACH, stated that a balance needs to be struck in managing valuable materials, recyclable materials, and hazardous substances within them that need to be phased out. A decision will be made on whether to implement new regulations specifically for managing recyclable materials. Current regulatory tools prioritize restricting hazardous chemicals from entering the raw material cycle. The European Environment Agency (EEB) recommends that existing regulations should effectively and consistently prioritize...

The new US TSCA law strengthens the existing chemical substances management framework through a three-stage approach.

The amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which took effect on June 22, 2016, clarify that a three-stage process—prioritization, risk evaluation, and risk management—is used to ensure the safety of existing chemical substances and to ensure that the evaluation or management is conducted within the scope of practical feasibility. To support the EU's circular economy policy, the Executive Director of ECHA, the governing body of REACH, stated that a balance needs to be found in managing valuable materials, recyclable materials, and hazardous substances that need to be phased out. A decision needs to be made regarding whether to implement new regulations specifically for managing recyclable materials. Current regulatory tools prioritize restricting hazardous chemicals from entering the raw material cycle. The European Environment Agency (EEB) recommends that existing regulations should effectively and consistently prioritize encouraging safe substitutions, including: • Prioritization: According to the final rule signed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on June 22, 2017, and published on July 20, which came into effect on September 18, a risk-based screening procedure was established to prioritize the risk assessment of chemical substances. Factors considered include the potential hazards and exposures of the chemical (including persistence and bioaccumulation).

21 companies selected for Sustainable Earth 2017

Since 2016, the United Nations has used the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a blueprint and guide for sustainable development over the next 15 years, outlining 17 global sustainable development goals. Taiwan officially established the "Legislative Yuan UN Sustainable Development Advisory Committee" on September 26th of this year. Externally, this will be used to advance diplomacy; internally, policies will be reviewed based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, demonstrating Taiwan's emphasis on global sustainable development trends. The Small and Medium Enterprise Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs is also actively working to help 1.4 million SMEs connect with international standards, enabling Taiwanese companies to link to international markets and strengthen their sustainable development and green competitiveness. The "SME Green Little Giant Mentoring Program" serves as the main focus, guiding companies to become "Green Little Giants." Recently, in conjunction with the Taipei Main Station "Mobile Payment Shopping Festival," a showcase of annual achievements was presented under the theme "Sustainable Earth, Businesses Take Charge." Companies including Green Energy, Changxin Plastics, and Blue Whale International exhibited green and environmentally friendly products across food, clothing, housing, transportation, education, and entertainment, bringing the concepts of "sustainability and circular economy" closer to people's lives and advocating for the public to value the green economy, consume green products, create green cash flow, and achieve green manufacturing. Experts from the Allen MacArthur Foundation, a global pioneer in circular economy thought, were recently invited to Taiwan and also emphasized the "new plastic economy," which aims to ensure that plastics never become waste through a complete cycle. Cooperation within the plastic product value chain must be considered from the design stage.

"Connecting GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards with UN SDGs" - Green Sustainability E-textbook

In 2016, the United Nations launched a series of promotional activities for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in 2017, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) released the latest version of the sustainability reporting framework – the GRI Standard. Linking the 17 UN SDGs with the GRI Standard has gradually become a trend in international corporate social responsibility reports and corporate sustainability reports. To provide SMEs with opportunities for self-learning and experience sharing, we have specially launched the "Linking GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards with UN SDGs" green sustainability e-learning material, assisting SMEs in creating their own corporate sustainability reports in accordance with international standards, even with reduced manpower. The link to the "Connecting GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards and UN SDGs" electronic green sustainability training material is: https://embed.kumu.io/b0dc95460ef3cd2800efb94261a3461f#gri-sdgs. The Small and Medium Enterprise Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, in order to enhance the green competitiveness of enterprises, commissioned the Quality, Environmental and Safety Department of the Plastics Processing and Technology Research Institute to implement the "SME Green Little Giant Guidance Program," dedicated to assisting manufacturers in meeting international environmental protection requirements and promoting green product design and marketing. If enterprises are further interested in green-related issues, they can visit the SME Green Environmental Protection Information Network at http://green.pidc.org.tw/index.php, or contact 0

PwC releases "2017 SDGs Global Survey": 70% of global companies responded to the SDGs, but awareness remains insufficient.

To assist businesses in responding to the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and more effectively identifying key areas for development, PwC Taiwan and the Taiwan Business Sustainability Training Center jointly hosted the "Discovering Corporate Sustainability in the SDGs" forum on November 22, 2017. The forum released the "PwC Global SDG Reporting Challenge 2017" and invited Chien Yu-Hsin, Chairman of the Taiwan Business Sustainability Training Center, and Mr. Hans Schoolderman, Partner of PwC Netherlands Sustainability, to analyze strategies and solutions for businesses developing SDGs. Representatives from companies such as Sinyi Realty, Cathay Financial Holdings, Far EasTone Telecommunications, and Unilever also shared their experiences, aiming to help businesses gain a head start in formulating and developing their SDGs action capabilities. According to statistics, 43 countries worldwide submitted Voluntary Country Review Reports (VNRs) for the Sustainable Development Goals in 2017, and more countries are expected to submit VNRs in 2018, which will inevitably have a policy impact on business activities in the future. This year, PwC conducted the "PwC Global SDG Reporting Challenge 2017" specifically to investigate how companies are responding to the Sustainable Development Goals. According to the latest research results, 62% of companies are reporting the SDGs to stakeholders, higher than expected; among them, 37% of companies...

China has the capability to exceed its current emissions reduction targets by 2023.

A recent study published in the environmental science journal *Resources, Conservation & Recycling* shows that China has an opportunity to control its total primary energy consumption to a more reasonable level and achieve its carbon emission reduction targets around 2023. Whether China, which accounts for a quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions, can achieve its carbon reduction targets as soon as possible is crucial. Yang Fuqiang, senior advisor at the Natural Resources Defense Council, believes that the closer China's carbon reduction targets are to 2020, the higher the likelihood of achieving the global carbon emission targets declared in 2020. 2020 is widely considered a critical year for global climate action; if carbon emissions cannot be reduced to the set targets by 2020, humanity will face catastrophic consequences such as accelerated sea-level rise and worsening extreme weather events. This study, a collaboration between Yuan Jiahai, professor at the School of Economics and Management of North China Electric Power University, and Liu Qilin, visiting researcher at the Center for Asian Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, focuses on China's energy consumption. Carbon dioxide accounts for 77% of global greenhouse gases, and more than 90% of carbon dioxide comes from energy consumption; therefore, reducing carbon emissions from energy consumption is a primary task in mitigating climate change. China's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submitted to the United Nations in 2015 aimed to reduce the country's carbon dioxide emissions by 60%–65% per unit of GDP by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. (Yuan Jiahai)

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