‍The Dow Chemical Company and China's State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment (SKLECRA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to improve the quality of the environment in China. 

The collaboration will initially focus on three areas: Human health risk assessment, chemical screening at the research and development stage for potential interference with the cancer causing hormone, and evaluation of bioconcentration in the environment, such as in water bodies.   

Both Dow and SKLECRA will collaborate in the fields of environmental criteria and standards; ecological protection in terms of scientific research, policy counsel, technical service; and applications, in addition to training and coaching sessions. 

“Our initiative is to help build a solid scientific and technological foundation to boost China’s environmental quality. We will put our knowledge into practice for chemical product governance in the country,” a Dow’s spokesperson told CGTN. 

Neil Hawkins, corporate vice-president at Dow, delivered a keynote speech at the MoU Signing Ceremony between Dow and SKLECRA. /Dow Photo

On Jan. 18, the MoU was signed and this was followed by a day-long discussion on China-US Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, attended by more than 60 environmental experts.

The event was an attempt to raise burning issues in the field of environmental toxicology, environmental criteria and standards, and business and environmental protection.

Dow’s spokesperson pointed out that, during the 19th CPC National Congress held last October, President Xi Jinping stressed reforms to build a beautiful China with a balance between economic growth and social progress, and to create an ecological civilization built upon green, circular, and low-carbon growth. 

“We are very pleased to sign this MoU with the State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment and we strongly believe that by leveraging our respective resources and strengths, we will help drive China’s environmental protection initiative and build towards a beautiful future where a harmony between human beings and our Mother Earth can be achieved,” said Yoke Loon Lim, President of Dow Greater China.

At present, the Shanghai Dow Center is Dow’s largest integrated research and development center based out of the US. The center employs more than 600 highly skilled scientists working in over 100 world-class laboratories.

Neil Hawkins, corporate vice-president at Dow, pointed out relevant guideline documents including the Ecosystem and Environmental Protection in the 13th Five-Year Plan Period and Healthy China 2030 manifestos, and the collaboration between Dow and SKLECRA aims to contribute to the implementation of China's Environmental Protection Law. 

Dow has been working with the Chinese government and environmental experts for nearly a decade. 

The company in 2008 partnered with the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to initiate a two-year project on “Safe Operation and Emergency Response Preparation” in the chemical industry with a focus on improving the chemical industry’s product safety and emergency preparedness.

“The MoU with Dow will allow us to continue exploring new and diversified forms of collaboration in the future,” said Dr. Wu Fengchang, director of SKLECRA.