Advanced Materials – 3rd Thematic Conference
The German Environment Agency invites representatives from science, industry, authorities and NGOs to jointly discuss governance options to foster safe and sustainable innovation, use and end of life of advanced materials and their applications.
Advanced materials are considered as heterogeneous group of new or modified materials with improved properties for intended applications. Based on their properties, the materials offer manifold applications for environmental, climate and resource protection, digitalisation and health. Thus, advanced materials are supposed to play a pivotal element for a transition to a sustainable society. However, the outstanding properties of these materials raise questions about safety and sustainability issues.
Advanced materials and their application can only make a meaningful contribution to the global challenges of today if it is ensured that appropriate risk assessment and regulation with regard to chemical safety is possible as well as measures to ensure sustainability are taken.
Against this background, different stakeholders (authorities, science, industry, NGO) are invited to the final of three thematic conferences which aims to conclude from the preceding events on the options to act on chemical safety for advanced materials. The discussion at the conference will be guided by a perspective paper of the German higher federal authorities (BAuA, BfR and UBA). This perspective will set the scene on challenges related to risk assessment, sustainability and governance of advanced materials and will reflect on relevant areas of actions, e.g. early warning systems, regulatory action needs or considerations on safe and sustainable design. During the conference, these reflections will be complemented by presentations and alternative views of different stakeholders.
The conference aims to feed into the exchange on proper governance of advanced materials at national, European and OECD level.
