OECD: Three publications on substitution

In March 2023 the OECD published three documents on the substitution of hazardous chemicals:

OECD (2023), Economic instruments to incentivise substitution of chemicals of concern – a review, OECD Series on Risk Management, No. 79, Environment, Health and Safety, Environment Directorate, OECD (pdf)

This study aims to give an overview of economic instruments used in chemicals management and in other environmental domains that governments could consider to incentivise substitution of chemicals of concern. The study reviews lessons learned from the use of five types of economic instruments: taxes, fees, subsidies, tradable permits, and deposit-refund systems, as well as “hybrid instruments” that combine elements of different instrument groups.

OECD (2023), Lessons Learned from Third-Party Approaches that Support Substitution of Chemicals of Concern, OECD Series on Risk Management, No. 78, Environment, Health and Safety, Environment Directorate, OECD (pdf)

The goal of this report is to characterize the current landscape of third-party (not government or regulated industry) approaches to chemical substitution across OECD countries, and in doing so, to provide information on those approaches that can be used by governments and other stakeholders to inform their chemical risk management efforts.

OECD (2023), Cross Country Analysis: Approaches to Support Alternatives Assessment and Substitution of Chemicals of Concern – 2nd edition, OECD Series on Risk Management, No. 77, Environment, Health and Safety, Environment Directorate, OECD (pdf)

This document summarises approaches used to support alternatives assessments and substitution by countries and lessons learned. This second edition is based on responses received to a questionnaire as well as discussion from the 2022 OECD Workshop on Government Approaches to Incentivise Substitution.

The publications can be found here: