This blog post was developed summarising the intervention of Kazakhstan on the Global Green Growth Knowledge Partnership (GGKP) roundtable Inside the POPs Inventory: Lessons, Challenges and Successes from the Global NIP Update held on 14 April 2025.
Kazakhstan is undertaking its second inventory of new persistent organic pollutants (POPs), reflecting a growing commitment to global environmental standards and the Stockholm Convention. Kazakhstan is approaching the challenge of tracking these chemicals, which are imported as part of a wide range of goods though never produced domestically.
Guidelines and data sources
The inventory of new POPs in Kazakhstan is guided by established international guidelines approved by the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. The process involves gathering and analysing data from the Custom Control Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This committee’s records are essential for understanding which new POPs are entering the country.
New POPs in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan’s new POPs inventory covers nine chemicals.
Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)
Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD)
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts, and related compounds, Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts, and PFHxS-related compounds
Pentachlorobenzene (PeCB)
Pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters (PCP)
Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs)
Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCN)
These substances, while not manufactured within the country, arrive as components of imported goods.
“The new POPs have never been produced in Kazakhstan. They are imported to Kazakhstan only as part of products and goods.”
Import trends and concentrations
The volumes of imported goods potentially containing PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances such as PFOA, PFOS and PFHxS) and SCCPs have been tracked for the period from 2010 to 2023. The data also show the minimum and maximum concentrations of these chemicals in the imported goods entering Kazakhstan.
POPs inventory is more than a regulatory exercise, it is a step towards greater transparency and environmental responsibility. By basing the inventory on robust Customs data and following international best practices, Kazakhstan is building a clearer picture of its exposure to new POPs. This work will be critical for future policy decisions, risk assessments, and for protecting public health and the environment.
This blog post was developed drawing on insights from the Global Green Growth Knowledge Partnership (GGKP) roundtable Inside the POPs Inventory: Lessons, Challenges and Successes from the Global NIP Update held on 14 April 2025. As part of the Global NIP Update project (GEF ID 10785), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and led by UNEP, this roundtable brought together nine countries currently engaged in reviewing and updating their National Implementation Plans (NIPs) under the Stockholm Convention to foster peer learning on the development of POPs inventories.
To learn more about the Global NIP Update project, visit Global NIP Update | Green Policy Platform
For a deeper dive into the GGKP roundtable on POPs inventory, you can access the full recordings and materials here: Inside the POPs Inventory: Lessons, Challenges and Successes from the Global NIP Update
