Chemical risk assessment is a prerequisite for regulatory decisions. This applies not least to which chemical substances should be allowed on the market and which materials are deemed suitable for different products. Risk assessment is therefore of great importance for industry as well as for authorities and politicians, and ultimately for public health and the state of the environment.

The methodology currently used in chemical risk assessment has been the practice for a long time. With thousands of chemicals on the market today and new ones being added at a rapid pace, the risk assessment methodology needs to be significantly modernized. Authorities and companies need to be able to risk assess many chemicals and other substances in combination, as well as to deal with new substances that do not follow traditional toxicological patterns. To make this possible, digital technologies and increased use of data are needed, as well as principles on how to deal with uncertain or missing data. At the same time, knowledge gaps need to be filled, and data are needed on exposure, distribution and effects of chemical substances, as well as robust methods to measure their levels and effects. In order to choose the right policy instruments and other measures, greater knowledge is needed of which measures are effective and which can be used even when there is uncertainty.

There is currently far too little scientifically based knowledge of the management system and socio-economic analyses relating to chemicals. More research is therefore a prerequisite for putting the right measure in the right place, and for being able to act proactively. The move towards next-generation risk assessment requires more collaboration between researchers of different disciplines, as well as with authorities, industry and other stakeholders.

The Earth's resources need to be used with greater care and efficiency. The circular economy is an important tool for this. It is important to reconcile the goal of a non-toxic and chemical-free environment with the promotion of a more circular and resource-efficient economy. However, reconciling them also poses difficulties, as products and materials to be reused or recycled may contain substances and materials that are not desirable in the next use cycle. Key aspects for a sustainable shift towards resource efficiency include traceability, the impact of a circular economy on society and other sustainability goals, incentives for changing practices and behaviors, and policy instruments and enforcement.

Researchers, authorities, interest groups and industry all point to the need for more research in this area, and that society must act and cooperate to increase both chemical safety and the circular economy side by side. Researchers, industry and other relevant stakeholders need to come together to discuss and test solutions. The complexity of the issue means that there is a need for both broad interdisciplinary research collaborations, as well as cross-sectoral collaborations.

Climate change is expected to affect both the occurrence and dispersion of environmental pollutants. Moreover, a changing climate will in itself affect how environmental pollutants are spread, but will also lead to effects that mean that new chemicals or new uses for chemicals will need to be introduced in the future. There are major gaps in our knowledge of what lies ahead, and thus a great need for research.

Direct effects on chemical substances and other environmental pollutants become a reality when temperature and precipitation change, resulting in drought, fires, changes in groundwater levels, floods, landslides and erosion. Chemical substances and environmental pollutants are then dispersed in new ways and can thus contribute to the exposure of people and nature. In addition, there are also more indirect effects of exposure to chemicals, as a result of changes in the need for chemical substances or changes in people's behavioral patterns. For example, the need for other types of plant protection products will increase in agriculture as temperature changes bring new pests to Sweden. The green transition and technological development will also lead to an increased need for chemicals, earth elements and minerals, which will then need to be managed during production and extraction, emissions and waste.

To be able to act proactively, there is a great need to increase knowledge about what people can be expected to be exposed to in the future.