Roundtable: The future of UK chemicals regulation

Read about our roundtable that focussed on plans for a national Chemicals Agency, a chemicals strategy, and the future for UK chemicals regulation.

In November we hosted a Chatham House-style roundtable event on the state of UK chemicals strategy and regulation. Attendees included high level representatives from chemical companies and industry organisations, the civil service, NGOs, learned societies, academia, and others.

In addition to discussing our position on the case for a national Chemicals Agency, the day focused on the strategic approach of the UK chemical regulation system, principles for a chemicals strategy, and the links between chemicals and other government strategies.

The main themes discussed on the day included the objectives of UK chemicals regulation, such as protecting human health and the environment, and promoting innovation, growth, and the circular economy.

There was a focus on the need to bridge the current skills gap in the public and private sectors, which will help to achieve these objectives more effectively in the future. Participants discussed the idea of a Chemicals Agency for the UK, but noted that there are some urgent issues that need to be resolved before looking at more fundamental reforms.

There was much conversation on the need for a chemicals strategy, and participants suggested a number of principles and goals that could be embedded in the government’s future approach. Clarity and certainty on chemicals policy were also desired, in order to create a stable environment for business investment. Participants also highlighted the need for coordination with other government strategies, such as the industrial strategy.

With the learnings from this event, and the collaborative momentum gained, we will continue to provide thought leadership in this area by developing a vision for the management of chemicals throughout their lifecycle that enables a safe and prosperous future for the UK. We are planning a series of stakeholder engagement activities to strengthen our partnerships and build connections, gather further insights into the unique needs of the UK chemicals sector, and develop the principles that should underpin a strategy for sustainable chemicals.

Register for our focus groups

We will be hosting two focus groups to gather insights from our community on principles and strategies for sustainable chemicals policy.

• 20 May 14:00-15:00 BST
• 11 June 14:00-15:00 BST

You can register for these using the above links.

If you’re interested in getting involved in our work, you can also join our Environmental Policy Group member community or contact us.