India's Leadership in Global Chemical & Waste Governance at BRS COPs 2025

Current context: The 2025 Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions (BRS COPs) took place from April 28 to May 9, 2025, at the Geneva International Conference Centre, Switzerland.

• Organizer: Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions, under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• Chairperson: The conference was chaired by Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary of the BRS Conventions.
• Theme: "Make visible the invisible: Sound management of chemicals and wastes."
• Aim: Strengthen global governance on hazardous chemicals and waste management, ensuring environmental protection and human health.

India’s Participation & Role

• Led by: Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, heading India’s delegation.

Key Contributions:

• Advocated for technology transfer, financial access, and capacity-building for developing nations.
• Highlighted India’s regulatory framework, including the Environment (Protection) Act, Hazardous Waste Rules, and E-Waste Management Rules, 2016.
• Engaged in bilateral talks with Switzerland to push for a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution.
• Showcased India’s ban on single-use plastics and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging.

Key Highlights

• Basel Convention: Revised Annex IV to improve waste tracking and disposal regulations.
• Rotterdam Convention: Added carbosulfan and fenthion ultra-low volume formulations to Annex III, requiring prior informed consent for trade.
• Stockholm Convention: Listed three new Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) for elimination, including chlorpyrifos, LC-PFCAs, and MCCPs.
• Ministerial Roundtables: Focused on financial access, technology transfer, and capacity-building

Question:

Q.1 What was the theme of the 2025 BRS COPs conference?
a) Towards a Plastic-Free World
b) Chemical Safety for All
c) Make visible the invisible: sound management of chemicals and wastes
d) Green Future, Clean Earth

Answer: c) This was the official theme highlighting the importance of managing hazardous chemicals and waste that often go unnoticed but have serious environmental and health consequences.