Introduction

The Pollution Prevention and Resource Efficiency Standard recognizes that increased industrial activity, urbanization, and intensive agricultural development often generate increased levels of pollution¹ to air, water, and land, and consume finite resources in a manner that may threaten people and the environment at the local, regional, and global level. Pollution prevention and resource efficiency are core elements of a sustainable development agenda and UNDP projects must meet good international practice in this regard. ​​

This Standard outlines a project-level approach to pollution prevention and resource efficiency. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change is addressed in Standard 2: Climate Change and Disaster Risks.

​Objectives

• To avoid or minimize adverse impacts on human health and the environment by avoiding or minimizing pollution from project activities.
• To promote more sustainable use of resources, including energy, land and water.
• To avoid or minimize programming-related emissions of short and long-lived climate pollutants² and ozone-depleting substances³.
• To avoid or minimize generation of hazardous and non-hazardous substances and wastes, and promote a human rights-based approach to the management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes.⁴
• To promote safe, effective, environmentally sound pest management.

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Scope of Application

The applicability of this Standard is established during the social and environmental screening and categorization process. Requirements of this Standard apply to projects that (i) aim to improve existing waste management practices; (ii) generate or cause generation of solid, liquid or gaseous waste; (iii) use, cause use of, or manage the use, storage or disposal of hazardous materials and chemicals, including pesticides; and (iv) that significantly consume or cause consumption of water, energy, or other resources.

​​Requirements

Pollution prevention: UNDP ensures that projects avoid the release of pollutants, and when avoidance is not feasible, minimize and/or control the intensity and mass flow of their release. This applies to the release of pollutants to air, water, and land due to routine, non-routine, and accidental circumstances.⁵ UNDP projects ensure that pollution prevention and control technologies and practices are applied during the project life cycle, utilizing performance levels and measures specified in national law or in good international good practice,⁶ whichever is more stringent. If less stringent measures (as compared to good international practice) are appropriate, the project will fully justify the chosen alternative through the assessment process, demonstrating that the alternative is consistent with these requirements. The technologies and practices applied will be tailored to the hazards and risks associated with the nature of the project. ​​

Upon request, UNDP will support countries to strengthen management and systems for improved pollution prevention, waste reduction, and chemicals management.⁷

Ambient considerations: To address adverse impacts on existing ambient conditions (such as air, surface water, groundwater, and soils), a number of factors will be considered, including the finite assimilative capacity of the environment,⁸ existing and planned land use, existing ambient conditions, the project's proximity to ecologically sensitive or protected areas (see Standard 1), the potential for cumulative impacts with uncertain and irreversible consequences, and strategies for avoiding and minimizing the release of pollutants. If the project activities will generate significant pollutants in already degraded/polluted areas, adopt measures that avoid and minimize potential negative effects, including potential alternative locations. The project will control runoff of contaminated water from project sites and ensure polluted wastewater is treated.​

​​Wastes: UNDP ensures that projects avoid the generation of hazardous and non-hazardous waste materials. Where waste generation cannot be avoided, projects reduce the generation of waste—including plastics—and recover and reuse waste in a manner that is safe for human health and the environment. Where waste cannot be recovered or reused, it is treated, destroyed, or disposed of in an environmentally sound manner that includes the appropriate control of emissions and residues resulting from the handling and processing of the waste material. UNDP projects develop waste management plans where waste generation and handling may be significant.

​If the generated waste is considered hazardous,⁹ reasonable alternatives for its environmentally sound disposal will be adopted while adhering to the limitations applicable to its transboundary movement.¹⁰ When hazardous waste disposal is conducted by third parties, UNDP will ensure the use of contractors that are reputable and legitimate enterprises licensed by the relevant government regulatory agencies and that chain of custody documentation to the final destination is obtained. UNDP projects will ascertain if licensed disposal sites are being operated to acceptable standards; if this is not the case, the project will minimize waste sent to such sites and consider alternative disposal options.​

​Hazardous materials: UNDP projects will avoid or, when avoidance is not feasible, minimize and control release and exposure to hazardous materials resulting from their production, transportation, handling, storage and use. Where avoidance is not possible, the health risks—including potential differentiated effects on men, women and children—of the potential use of hazardous materials will be addressed in the social and environmental assessment. UNDP projects will consider the special vulnerabilities faced by workers as well as low-income communities, peoples with disabilities, indigenous peoples and minorities to hazardous materials. The project will develop hazardous materials management and safety measures/plans per good international practice.¹¹ UNDP projects will consider the use of less hazardous substitutes for such chemicals and materials and will avoid supporting the manufacture, trade, and use of chemicals and hazardous materials subject to international bans, restrictions or phase-outs due to their high toxicity to living organisms, environmental persistence, potential for bioaccumulation, or potential for depletion of the ozone layer, unless for acceptable purposes as defined by the conventions or protocols (e.g. the Montreal Protocol, Minamata Convention, Basel Convention, Rotterdam Convention, Stockholm Convention).¹²

Pesticide use and management: UNDP seeks to avoid use of pesticides in supported activities. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Integrated Vector Management (IVM) approaches are to be utilized that entail coordinated use of pest and environmental information along with available pest/vector control methods, including cultural practices, biological, genetic and, as a last resort, chemical means to prevent unacceptable levels of pest damage. If after having considered such approaches recourse to pesticide use is deemed necessary, adopt safe, effective and environmentally sound pest management in accordance with the WHO/FAO International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management¹³ for the safe labelling, packaging, handling, storage, application and disposal of pesticides. Hazards of pesticide use are to be carefully considered and the least toxic pesticides selected that are known to be effective, have minimal effects on non-target species and the environment, and minimize risks associated with development of resistance in pests and vectors. A Pest Management Plan is developed where use of a significant volume of pesticides is foreseen to demonstrate how IPM will be promoted to reduce reliance on pesticides and describes measures to minimize risks of pesticide use.

​​UNDP projects do not supply or use pesticides that contain active ingredients that are banned or restricted under applicable international treaties and agreements, or meet the criteria of carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, or reproductive toxicity as set forth by relevant international agencies.¹⁴ Users of any pesticides shall be trained to handle pesticides in a proper and responsible manner and utilize appropriate application equipment and adequate personal protective equipment.

Resource efficiency: UNDP projects are designed and implemented in a manner that promotes the efficient use and consumption of land/soils, energy, water, and other resources and material inputs.¹⁵ Technically and financially feasible and cost-effective efficiency measures are implemented.¹⁶ Such measures integrate the principles of cleaner production into product design and production processes with the objective of conserving raw materials, energy, and water. For resource intensive projects, benchmarking data are utilized to establish the relative level of efficiency. Principles of green design, circular economy, sustainable infrastructure and sustainable procurement are considered where feasible. ​

Water usage: For projects with high water demand (generally greater than 5,000 m3/day in non-arid climates), in addition to applying the resource efficiency requirements of this Standard, measures are adopted that avoid or reduce water usage so that the project’s water consumption does not have significant adverse impacts on communities, other users or on the environment and ecosystems (see Standard 1 on conserving ecosystems). Cumulative impacts of water use are assessed and appropriate mitigation measures implemented, such as water demand management, efficiency measures, benchmarking usage, alternative supplies, resource contamination avoidance, mitigation of impacts on downstream users, and water use offsets. Good international practice for water conservation and efficiency is applied, including for irrigation activities and wastewater usage.