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Global Inventory of Pollutant Releases

Publications in the series on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers

 

A Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) is a publicly accessible database or inventory of chemicals or pollutants released to air, water and soil and transferred off-site for treatment. It brings together information about which chemicals are being released, where, how much and by whom.

 

Using PRTR information to evaluate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal 12

Countries are taking action against toxic chemicals emitted into air, water and land by industry. How can countries track progress made towards this target?

The new OECD report Using PRTR information to evaluate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal 12 looks at Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers data as a means to track toxic releases to monitor chemical pollution to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.4.

This tracking system not only enhances transparency and accountability of industry but also measures progress towards SDG target 12.4. The report shows that pollutants have decreased by 47% from 2008 to 2017. This decreasing trend is also found even if the release values are normalised by the manufacturing GDP of the countries or if they are converted to the Toxicity Impact Scores. 

  

Flagship publications

 a) Global PRTRs

 b) PRTR Data Application

 c) Release Estimation Techniques

Resource Compendium of PRTR:

All publications on PRTRs

 This series is divided into three types of publications:

  • Council Acts
  • Guidance Manuals (including Global PRTRs, Data application, Release estimation techniques, Workshop reports)
  • Other publications


1. COUNCIL ACTS
 

2018 Recommendation of the Council on Establishing and Implementing Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers C(2018)5   English French
2003 Amendment to the Recommendation of the Council on Implementing Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers C/(96)41/Final, as amended C(2003)87

English - French

1996 Recommendation of the Council on Implementing Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers  C(96)41/FINAL - English French


2. GUIDANCE MANUALS

 

a) Global PRTRs

2022 Harmonised List of Pollutants for Global PRTRs

ENV/CBC/MONO(2022)5                                              Excel list

2014 Guidance document on elements of a PRTR: Part 1 ENV/JM/MONO(2014)33
2015 Guidance document on elements of a PRTR: Part 2 ENV/JM/MONO(2015)45
2014 Proposal For A Harmonised List Of Pollutants*  ENV/JM/MONO(2014)32
2013 Proposals for a Harmonised List or Reporting Sectors

ENV/JM/MONO(2013)5                                                 Excel list 

2001 Why PRTRs Differ: A Review of National Programmes ENV/JM/MONO(2001)16

*The document was updated in 2022


b) PRTR Data Application

2023 Uses of PRTR Data and Tools for their Presentation  ENV/CBC/MONO(2023)9
2019 Uses of PRTR Data and Tools for their Presentation*  ENV/JM/MONO(2019)35
2019 On the Use of PRTR Information in Evaluating Progress Towards Meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: An Action Plan for Analysis and Moving Forward ENV/JM/MONO(2019)33
2017 Framework on the Role of Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs) in Global Sustainability Analyses ENV/JM/MONO(2017)7
2013 Application, Use and Presentation of PRTR Data ENV/JM/MONO(2013)1
2000 Presentation and Dissemination of PRTR Data: Practices and Experiences - Getting the Words and Numbers Out ENV/JM/MONO(2000)17

*The document was updated in 2023


c) Release Estimation Techniques

2013 Resource Compendium of PRTR Part 1: Summary of Techniques for Point Source ENV/JM/MONO(2002)20/REV1
2003 Resource Compendium of PRTR Part 2: Summary of Techniques for Diffuse Source ENV/JM/MONO(2003)14 
2017 Resource Compendium of PRTR Part 3: Summary of Techniques for Estimating Quantities Transferred, Released or Disposed ENV/JM/MONO(2017)1
2017 Resource Compendium of PRTR Part 4: Summary of Techniques for Estimating Releases of Chemicals from Products ENV/JM/MONO(2017)2
2017 Resource Compendium of PRTR Part 4: Summary of Techniques for Releases from Products ENV/JM/MONO(2017)2/ANN
2014 Removal/emission predictions of wastewater treatment for exposure assessment and PRTRs ENV/JM/MONO(2014)16
2008 Scoping Study on the Inclusion of Releases and Transfers from Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in PRTRs ENV/JM/MONO(2008)5
2008 Considerations for Ensuring Quality PRTR Data ENV/JM/MONO(2008)11
2006 Comparison of emission estimation methods used in PRTRs and ESDs (Series on Testing and Assessment No. 52) ENV/JM/MONO(2006)6
2005 Framework for Selecting and Applying PRTR Release Estimation Techniques ENV/JM/MONO(2005)18


d) Workshop Reports

1999 Proceedings of the OECD International Conference on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers, PRTRs: National and Global Responsibility - Part 1 ENV/JM/MONO(99)16/PART1
1999 Proceedings of the OECD International Conference on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers, PRTRs: National and Global Responsibility - Part 2 ENV/JM/MONO(99)16/PART2
1997 Workshop for Central and Eastern Europe and the new independent states of the former Soviet Union, Prague-Pruhonice, Czech Republic, 15-17 January Summary report
1997 RTR Workshop for the America’s San Juan del Rio, Mexico, 29-31 July, 1997 PRTRs: A tool for environmental management and sustainable development 

3. OTHER PUBLICATIONS

2000 PRTR Implementation: Member Country Progress ENV/EPOC(2000)8/FINAL
1996 A Tool for Environmental Policy and Sustainable Development - Guidance Manual for Governments

OECD/GD(96)32

English / French / Spanish Russian

 

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