Chemical Footprint Project assessment tool promotes safer chemicals

Carbon and water footprinting are now commonplace but for too long, companies have lacked a means of assessing their chemical management performance. Without a tool for evaluating chemical management approaches, companies could not easily identify critical advancement opportunities and align on the need to improve. The lack of an independent, third-party tool also hampered investors’ ability to determine a company’s level of hidden risk.

To address these needs, Pure Strategies co-founded The Chemical Footprint Project along with environmental non-profit Clean Production Action, and the research institute The Lowell Center for Sustainable Production at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. The Chemical Footprint Project’s mission is to transform global chemical use by measuring and disclosing data on business progress to safer chemicals.

 The Chemical Footprint Project was launched in 2015 and provides a common framework for benchmarking companies’ chemical management methods with best practice. The effort has quickly gained momentum with global investors managing more than $2 trillion in assets signing on to the Project and asking their holdings to participate in the assessment process. 

The assessment tool comprises 20 questions addressing corporate chemical performance in management strategy, chemical inventory, progress, and public disclosure. Respondents can complete the assessment annually, allowing them to demonstrate progress. Leading firms, including Pure Strategies’ clients Radio Flyer and Beautycounter, participated in the first assessment, gaining value and identifying areas for program improvement.

The Chemical Footprint Project is certain to play an increasingly critical role in furthering safer products, sustainable materials management, supplier engagement, and responsible disclosure. Learn more at the Chemical Footprint Project website.

Pure Strategies’ chemicals management toolbox

The Chemical Footprint Project is a critical part of the suite of tools used by Pure Strategies to help organizations drive sustainability into how they manage chemicals. Our sustainable chemicals management approach includes policy development, safer design, supply chain engagement, and external collaboration to elevate practices across industries.