Quarterly Update
CEPN has continued building on 10 years of progress in the effort to improve workers' safety in the electronics supply chain. The Toward Zero Exposure program just completed its 5th year, with Signatories now completing their annual reporting requirements. Meanwhile, the Priority Chemicals selection procedure has undergone a revision, and the CEPN team has been busy connecting with partners, peers, and stakeholders to further the Network’s efforts.
Read on for the latest and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn to keep up with CEPN’s progress. Please reach out to us with any questions, comments or feedback. We’d love to hear from you!
CEPN's PCDC Tool Now Available in Chinese
The Process Chemicals Data Collection (PCDC) Tool is a free and publicly available tool designed to standardize reporting and make it easier to collect and manage process chemical data.
The tool has now been translated into Chinese, amplifying its potential impact across the electronics supply chain.
CEPN invites all companies in the electronics industry to use the PCDC Tool to speed up data collection and streamline communication among facilities and customers.
Toward Zero Exposure 3.1 Incorporates New Program Revisions
The Toward Zero Exposure program recently underwent minor revisions, resulting in the publication of TZE Version 3.1.
This revision incorporates the 3rd Priority Chemical Round (while maintaining phased implementation) and adds a streamlined TZE-focused audit option that significantly lowers the cost and time requirements for on-site verification.
CEPN Updates Procedure for Priority Chemical Selection
Based on learnings from the Round 3 Priority Chemical selection process, CEPN has made updates and improvements to the selection of Priority Chemical procedure. These updates bring additional transparency and clarity to the process of selecting priority chemicals going forward by adding additional detail on key steps and classifications. Furthermore, the updates improve alignment between the procedure and current CEPN initiatives.
Updated Priority Chemicals Procedure
REMINDER: RBA and CEPN host Process Chemical Data Collection Campaign through 2026
The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and CEPN are hosting another Process Chemical Data Collection (PCDC) campaign throughout 2026 to collect process chemical usage data from supply chain facilities in the electronics production sector. As with the previous PCDC campaign in 2022, analysis of an anonymized, aggregated 2026 PCDC campaign dataset will be used by the RBA and CEPN to gain insights on process chemical consumption, mitigation of worker exposures, and adoption of safer chemistry. This metadata helps inform the development of new workplans, programs, and tools, including CEPN's identification of priority process chemicals of concern. The 2026 PCDC campaign coincides with the first operational year of the RBA’s Chemical Management Leadership Program (CMLP), in which participating companies are collecting process chemical data from their respective high-risk supply chain facilities.
RBA members can collect facility-level process chemical datasets using the RBA’s Chemical Platform or CEPN’s PCDC Tool, which may be securely submitted to the RBA via the '2026 RBA-CEPN PCDC Campaign' folder on the RBA ShareFile.
Companies interested in using the RBA Chemical Platform to contribute to this effort may follow the guidance article 'How to do Custom Facility Risk Scorecards for process chemical data reporting?' Any process chemical data collected since the beginning of 2025 may be submitted, including annual process chemical data that is typically collected for ecolabel purposes. For more information, please contact the RBA's Responsible Environment Initiative team.
CEPN Speaking at Upcoming Chemical Watch Summit
Next month CEPN Senior Director Pamela Brody-Heine will be speaking on a panel about chemicals management for electronics at Chemical Watch’s Regulatory Summit North America. She’ll speak on the evolving roadmap for chemical safety in electronics, from priority chemicals to a unified MRSL.
The summit will take place on September 28 and 29 in Alexandria, Virginia and online. Learn about the evolving roadmap for chemical safety in electronics, from priority chemicals to a unified MRSL.
The Global Framework on Chemicals First International Conference Takes Place in November
On November 16, UNEP will be hosting the inaugural International Conference of the Global Framework on Chemicals. Taking place at the Geneva International Conference Centre, this event will be structured around 3 core themes: Tracking progress, accelerating action, and investing for impact.
Over the course of four days, attendees will engage directly with priorities, challenges, and solutions to help provide the foundation for a future in which humanity benefits from chemicals in a safe and sustainable way.