Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs) as a Cornerstone of Global Chemicals Management: Current Gaps and Future Directions

Abstract

Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) systems in different countries are key tools for global chemicals management and an important data source for measuring progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 12 of sustainable consumption and production patterns. However, current implementations face several structural and functional limitations that hinder the broad applicability of the PRTR reporting data. These limitations can be categorized into two main aspects: within-system issues and between-system inconsistencies. Within systems, data gaps can result from limited monitoring of nonpoint sources, incomplete reporting, exemptions due to thresholds and confidentiality agreements, and other similar factors, while data inaccuracies can be caused by estimation errors, duplicated counts, and other related issues. Between systems, differences in chemical lists, threshold settings, emission source types, reporting methods, and other discrepancies can hinder data comparability and integration, limiting the effectiveness of global chemicals management. Addressing these issues, through unified pollutant lists, harmonized reporting methodologies, expanded source coverage, and improved data verification, can significantly strengthen the utility of PRTR systems, advancing an integrated and evidence-based global sound management of chemicals.