The chemical industry is out of control

February 3, 2022

The chemical industry is out of control

Vivian Elion
February 3, 2022

The chemical industry is out of control

We have no idea about the long-term impacts of chemical production on our planet. Is it time for a 'guilty until proven innocent' approach?
Vivian Elion
February 3, 2022
Visual by Daniel Olah. © Unsplash

The chemical industry is out of control

February 3, 2022

One of the greatest environmental challenges has to do with what we don’t know, rather than what we know. Modern chemistry has produced more than 350,000 different substances and for most of these, we simply have no idea of their exact impact on the environment or our health. When we do know about the impact of certain chemicals, it often takes decades to find out and assess the damage that’s already been done.  Meanwhile, the production of chemicals has exceeded the sixth of nine planetary boundaries, threatening the stability of the Earth’s natural ecosystems. 

Despite such experiences in the past, regulation of substances is still based on the principle of “innocent until proven guilty”: until proven otherwise, substances are not labeled as harmful. This makes it possible for companies to produce chemicals without considering their short- and long-term effects. In fact, once a valuable chemical is proven “guilty” and is regulated, companies tend to look for similar substitutions that haven’t been regulated yet. Unfortunately, these substitutes aren’t always safer. This goes, for instance, for several alternatives to BPA, a harmful additive used in plastics, which may have severe effects of their own. 

The underlying problem seems to be that there is no clear framework to hold companies accountable for the impact of the chemicals they produce. Although there is a voluntary initiative called Responsible Care, companies are in no way forced to take into consideration the damage their current actions will cause the environment hundreds of years from now. Only in rare cases of neglect or deceit have companies been held accountable. To try to regain control over our chemical future, we may need to apply the precautionary principle and treat new substances as “guilty until proven innocent”.

Burning questions:
  • Is it actually possible to prove the “innocence” of new substances, given the wide range of effects they can have and the time it may take for these effects to become visible?
  • What would be the economic damage of applying the precautionary principle? And what would be the opportunity costs, from a societal perspective, in terms of the broader value of all of these substances, e.g. in medicine
About the author(s)
With an eye on sustainability and societal well-being, Vivian specializes in the development and facilitation of solutions for fundamental sustainable transitions in society and the economy. Together with partners and clients within and outside the organization, she translates the FreedomLab framework on Deep Transitions to concrete workshop methods, business model innovations and investment opportunities. Vivian studied Global Business and Sustainability at Erasmus University Rotterdam, where she conducted research on how systems thinking and a paradox perspective can resolve conflicting tensions in corporate sustainability. Next to the development and operationalization of the framework, she is the driving force behind the creation of a sustainability strategy for all of Rasile Group's entities.‍
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