Title: Development of a Strategic Roadmap for the Substitution of SVHC as Part of a Sustainable Economy
Client: Belgian FPS of Economy and FPS of Public Health
Year: 2023
eftec team: Thea Sletten, Zachary Leather, Oliver Pilkington, Allegra Naldini, Victoria Reeser, Su Gulmus, Karli Jeffrey, Anushka Shah, Richard Dubourg (Associate)
This research project - Belgian Plan for Chemical Alternatives (BEP4CAL) - was carried out to support the Belgian government in its efforts to promote substitution of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs).
eftec led the fourth phase of the project conducting a socio-economic analysis (SEA) of 10 shortlisted policy measures to promote the substitution of SVHCs. These 10 policy measures were assessed using a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) to assess:
Effectiveness in achieving SVHC substitution,
Financial impacts,
Environmental and health impacts,
Practicability, and
Wider and distributional impacts.
The analysis demonstrated that obligation-based policy measures (e.g., fees and substitution plans) are more effective when combined with support mechanisms such as (non-)financial aid and awareness creation. It also highlighted that support mechanisms are important to engage smaller businesses that have less available resources for substitution activities. A policy package approach (mixing regulatory obligations with supportive tools) is therefore essential to maximise substitution potential, reduce costs for businesses, and ensure better compliance over time.
You can read the full report here.