A new UN body on pollution to be established. Final round of discussions begins today

Polluted air causes 8.1 million deaths annually, remind experts from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). In Punta del Este, Uruguay, a session of the Science-Policy Panel is now beginning, with the goal of tackling environmental pollution at the global level.

A new panel within the UN structure

What we’ve been lacking is a strong and comprehensive science-policy platform focused on curbing pollution, one of the three pillars of the planetary crisis, said Tessa Goverse, Principal Representative of UNEP. The creation of a new body, intended to be the equivalent of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is, in her view, meant to help policymakers develop laws that will save lives and protect the natural environment in the coming decades.

The need for a new body was decided by UN member states back in 2022. The current round of discussions, scheduled for June 15–18, aims to finalize the details of how it will operate. If negotiators are successful, the new body could be approved in Uruguay during an intergovernmental meeting on June 19–20.

Translating science for decision-makers

The main task of the new panel will be to provide government representatives with the most up-to-date and reliable knowledge on environmental pollution to support informed decision-making. The long-term objective is to develop national and international strategies to reduce the impact of toxic chemicals and waste on human health and natural resources.

According to Tessa Goverse, the goal is to shift the current approach—from addressing pollution by focusing on selected chemicals using fragmented data—toward more comprehensive thinking and holistic solutions. The new panel will engage in critical analysis of current issues, gather reliable data, and formulate recommendations, especially for developing countries.

There is a strong emphasis on strengthening the link between science and policy-making to ensure the most effective transfer of knowledge. For this reason, the panel will include representatives of national governments and will operate with the involvement of thousands of scientists from around the world. Additionally, local communities and the private sector are expected to participate actively.

Why does the world need a pollution-fighting panel?

UNEP representatives argue that chemistry is essential to the world and offers many benefits to global society. However, irresponsible management turns it into a double-edged sword. Pesticides protect crops but also contaminate rivers and lakes; antibiotics save lives but enter water and soil through wastewater, harming wildlife.

The new panel will focus particularly on today’s most critical threats—from pharmaceutical pollution to microplastics and harmful nanomaterials. The solutions it develops could, for example, influence regulations on the use of certain compounds in consumer products or reduce the chemical footprint of entire industrial sectors.

Fighting pollution is the third key component—alongside biodiversity protection and climate change mitigation—of efforts to combat the ecological crisis on Earth, and all these elements are closely interconnected. According to its proponents, the new panel will help reduce emissions of greenhouse gases while also supporting the achievement of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) goals adopted in 2022.