Safer Chemistry Metrics Powered by ChemFORWARD

This new report from the Safer Chemistry Impact Fund signals a new chapter in our safer chemistry movement - one where ChemFORWARD's data and sharing model is an enabler and our collaborations are an accelerator.

The Safer Chemistry Impact Fund, an innovative blended capital initiative with seed funding from Apple and Google, released the first-of-its-kind metrics framework to measure and drive the adoption of safer chemistry across industries. The report, titled "Accelerating the Transition to Safer Chemistry: Establishing a Collective Vision & Impact Metrics," is a multi-stakeholder effort to address the urgent crisis of global chemical pollution, which rivals carbon emissions as an existential threat to human and environmental health.

You can't manage what you can't measure.

Unlike greenhouse gas emissions, where most companies have established clear and measurable goals toward achieving carbon neutrality, few have established goals for chemical hazard reduction, even in the face of impending chemical bans on "forever chemicals" and other chemical classes. Lack of goals may be explained by the old adage: "You can't manage what you can't measure."

That is now changing, powered by ChemFORWARD.

The report synthesizes ideas offered by government, nonprofit, and industry experts into a roadmap for the global supply chain as it navigates the complex transition away from chemicals linked to severe health issues like reproductive problems, endocrine disruption, and cancer. By providing a standardized approach to assessing and quantifying progress towards safer chemistry, the SCI Fund aims to enable companies with trusted data, simple tools, and metrics to reduce risk and accelerate investment in verified, safer alternatives.

Key innovations include:

The Chemical Hazard Data Trust (ChemFORWARD’s repository plus new enhancements): A central data repository creating broad access to actionable chemical hazard data that reduces costs and time to replace chemicals of concern.

Impact Metrics: A set of six key metrics that track progress in data quality, availability, innovation, collaboration, and adoption of safer chemistry.

Metric Zero (CF Ingredient Intelligence Reports): The Fund will characterize the chemicals used in at least four in the next five years to prioritize action and investment in the sector. Retailers, brands, formulators, and chemical suppliers will utilize metric zero to set individual actions and goals that could contribute to the broader industry effort. ChemFORWARD’s beauty and personal care work with the Know Better, Do Better Collaborative will be the first Metric Zero report published (expected mid-October).

This new report advances a practical framework that will impact industry, investors, and policymakers. Please review the report to learn more.