Australia Consults on Environmental Standards for Ten Industrial Chemical Groups
Reference source : DCCEEW (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water)
On 21 September 2026, the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) launched a consultation on proposed standards for ten groups of industrial chemicals under the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS). The proposals address the environmental risks posed by industrial use of these chemicals. They do not cover medical or agricultural uses.
How IChEMS Works
The Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS) is Australia’s national framework for managing the environmental risks posed by industrial chemicals. It sets standards for activities such as their use, storage, handling and disposal.
Chemicals are placed in one of seven schedules according to their environmental risk. Schedule 1 covers chemicals that do not fit into the other schedules, while Schedules 2 to 5 reflect an increasing potential for environmental harm. Schedules 6 and 7 cover chemicals that are likely to cause serious or irreversible harm: Schedule 6 includes chemicals with essential uses, and Schedule 7 those without essential uses. The specific measures for each chemical are set out in its entry in the IChEMS Register.
Chemicals Covered by the Consultation
The ten proposed decisions cover chemicals with different levels of environmental risk. LC PFCAs and hydrofluorocarbons are proposed for Schedule 6, while the remaining groups are proposed for Schedules 2 to 5. The table below shows where each group would be listed if the decisions are finalised.
|
Proposed schedule |
Chemical groups |
|
Schedule 6 |
Long chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC PFCAs); hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) |
|
Schedule 5 |
Nonylphenols and nonylphenol ethoxylates |
|
Schedule 4 |
Hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) and hydrochlorofluoroolefins (HCFOs) |
|
Schedule 3 |
Pentane, isopentane and cyclopentane; dehydroacetic acid; Fluorescent Brightener 71 and related chemicals; hexamine and related chemicals |
|
Schedule 2 |
Ethane, propane and butanes; salicylic acid and its salts |
Each group has a separate proposed scheduling decision and chemical profile, allowing stakeholders to comment on the measures relevant to their products and activities. The DEECCW also provides an indicative list of chemical names and CAS numbers, but cautions that this is not a comprehensive list of potentially affected chemicals.
Comments due in October
Submissions must be made through the consultation survey by 23 October 2026. The feedback will inform the final standards, which will subsequently be listed in the IChEMS Register. A date for that step has not yet been announced.