The Stockholm Convention is an international treaty ratified by 187 countries. The objective of the convention is the protection of human health and the environment from the adverse effects of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). The Government of India (GoI) signed the Stockholm Convention (SC) on POPs in May 2002 and ratified it on 13 January 2006. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is the focal point of the convention. CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur, was nominated by MoEFCC as the Stockholm Convention Regional Centre (SCRC) in 2010, which was accepted by the Conference of the Parties meeting (COP-4) held in Geneva in 2011. Since then, CSIR-NEERI has actively worked in close collaboration with international agencies such as UNEP, UNDP, WHO, UNIDO, etc., on several projects in the field of chemicals and waste. CSIR-NEERI also provides technical assistance to MoEFCC and CPCB in matters related to the Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm (BRS), and Minamata Conventions.

Currently, CSIR-NEERI is implementing a GEF-funded project, viz. “Review and update of national implementation plan on POPs”. India takes up this project to fulfil the country’s obligation to the Stockholm Convention. As per the mandate of the Convention, parties are mandated to take appropriate measures to minimise the release of POPs or phase out hazardous chemicals from production, use, import/export, etc. Also, it is crucial to manage POPs containing waste such as end-of-life vehicles, plastics, E-waste, etc., in an environmentally sound manner to minimise the release of unintentionally produced POPs such as dioxins and furans. To disseminate the findings/insights of the project to a wider global audience, CSIR-NEERI, in association with MoEFCC, Dept of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, GoI, CPCB, CSIR-NIIST, CSIR-IITR and HIL India Ltd., organised a side-event on 01 May 2025 on the sidelines of COP 2025 meetings in Geneva.

The meeting was chaired by Mr Amit Raj, Director, MoEFCC and Dr S Venkat Mohan, Director, CSIR-NEERI, welcomed the participants and addressed about the various research activities taken up by NEERI to provide policy support to the Government of India. Mr Amit Raj, in his opening remarks, spoke on the various regulatory and policy decisions taken by the GoI for the implementation of the conventions. He congratulated CSIR-NEERI for organising such a side event for the first time in India. Er Bharat Sharma, Member Secretary, CPCB, spoke on implementing several waste management rules in India, such as municipal solid waste, plastic waste, construction and demolition waste, hazardous waste, e-waste, end-of-life vehicles management, and battery waste management rules. Circular economy principles have been incorporated into these rules to minimise hazardous chemicals and GHG emissions and maximise material recovery and reuse.

Dr Rajendra Tappar, HIL India Ltd, spoke on the alternatives to DDT for disease vector control. India stopped using DDT for malaria control in 2024 and switched to safe and environmentally friendly neem-based and sustainable alternative approaches. This is a remarkable milestone in implementing the Stockholm Convention in India. Dr A Ramesh Kumar, CSIR-NEERI, spoke on some of the hazardous additives present in single-use plastics, which are not required for SUPs due to their short life span. He emphasised the need for policy change and standards for plastic additives. Dr KP Prathish, CSIR-NIIST, in his presentation, showed a considerable reduction in the dioxins and furans emissions due to the improvement in waste management, co-processing of hazardous waste, and the efforts taken due to the implementation of the “Swachh Bharat Mission”.

The event was attended by fifty participants from various countries in person and over sixty participants online and was moderated by Dr A Ramesh Kumar. The event was organised with the generous support of UNEP.