Thomas Jakl is the former chair of the European Chemicals Agency's (
European Chemicals Agency
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA; ) is an agency of the European Union which manages the technical and administrative aspects of the implementation of the European Union regulation called Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restricti ...
, ECHA) Management board and is Deputy Director General of the Austrian Environment Ministry responsible for Chemicals Policy. His field of activity includes legislation on chemical substances at the national, European and UN levels. He served as ECHA's president from 2008 until September 2012. He is president of the Governing Board of PARC - the "Partnership for Risk Assessment for Chemicals" a 400 Million Euro initiative of the EU's research program "Horizon Europe".
Education
* 1991 - PhD in
plant physiology
Plant physiology is a subdiscipline of botany concerned with the functioning, or physiology, of plants. Closely related fields include plant morphology (structure of plants), plant ecology (interactions with the environment), phytochemistry (bi ...
with specialization in
photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored i ...
research and simulation of plant bio-productivity at the
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich histor ...
.
* M.Sc. in Earth Sciences.
* 2017 graduated according to ISO 17024 "Certified Supervisory Expert, CSE"
Tenure at Austria's Environment Ministry
Dr. Thomas Jakl has worked in different high level policy positions, including the Head of EU-Presidency delegation for international negotiations (UN) in the field of chemicals policy during the Austrian Presidencies in 1998, 2006 and 2018, and as former President of EU Council working group on international environmental policy (chemicals) and
(REACH). During Austria's third EU- Presidency 2018 he designed and implemented a special policy program to integrate resource efficiency and effectiveness evaluation as political goals into Chemicals Policy.
Dr. Jakl has led the Austrian delegation to the negotiating bodies for multilateral environmental agreements such as
Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion
Ozone depletion consists of two related events observed sinc ...
,
Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer is a multilateral environmental agreement signed in 1985 that provided frameworks for international reductions in the production of chlorofluorocarbons due to their contribution to the ...
,
Stockholm Convention
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an international environmental treaty, signed on 22 May 2001 in Stockholm and effective from 17 May 2004, that aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic ...
, the
Rotterdam Convention
The Rotterdam Convention (formally, the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade) is a multilateral treaty to promote shared responsibilities in relation ...
,
SAICM
The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) is a global policy framework to foster the sound management of chemicals. The SAICM Secretariat is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme.
''"The sound management of ...
etc. He has been responsible for sector specific policies for
organic solvents
A solvent (s) (from the Latin '' solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas, or a supercritical fluid. Water is a solvent for p ...
,
nanomaterials
*
Nanomaterials describe, in principle, materials of which a single unit is sized (in at least one dimension) between 1 and 100 nm (the usual definition of nanoscale).
Nanomaterials research takes a materials science-based approach to nan ...
,
pesticides
Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and lampric ...
,
detergents,
endocrine disrupters
Endocrine disruptors, sometimes also referred to as hormonally active agents, endocrine disrupting chemicals, or endocrine disrupting compounds are chemicals that can interfere with endocrine (or hormonal) systems. These disruptions can cause ca ...
etc.
Dr. Jakl is a prominent public key note speaker who addresses global issues pertaining to sustainable development,
circular economy
A circular economy (also referred to as circularity and CE) is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. CE aims ...
and environmental management. He is a prolific writer credited with over 150 publications in high quality newspapers, journals and books on various societal and environmental — science related issues. In August 2021 Thomas published his book "How bio is the Bobo?" (German: "Wie bio ist der Bobo") compiling 38 of his most influential and most commented essays.
ISBN Paperback: 978-3-99129-237-1
ISBN Hardcover: 978-3-99129-235-7
ISBN E-Book: 978-3-99129-236-4
Dr. Jakl is one of the most influential thinkers on the subject of sustainable chemical management, and the foremost propounder of
Chemical Leasing
Chemical leasing is a business model that intends to shift the focus from increasing sales volume of chemicals towards a value-added approach. It intends to address unnecessary over-consumption of chemicals by charging consumers based on functions ...
. He is the co-author of "Chemical Leasing" and "Chemical Leasing goes Global." He has pioneering contributions to the fields of scientific and technical risk assessment of substances and products, best practice diffusion for the production and application of chemical products as well as "Green Chemistry" and "Circular Economy".
Membership of professional bodies
* HBM4EU (Human Biomonitoring for Europe) - EU Horizon 2020 funded lighthouse initiative; Chair of the Governing Board, HBM4EU — Ambassador 2017-2022.
* European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) – former Member of Management Board; elected as Chair of the Management Board since 2008 until 30092012.
* PARC (Partnership on Risk Assessment of Chemicals, Horizon Europe); elected chair of the Governing Board 1105202
* Federal Environment Agency – Deputy Head of Supervisory Board
* Federal Agency for Site Remediation – Head of Supervisory Board
* International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3) - Member of Advisory Council
* Global Green Chemistry Initiative (GGCI) - Member of Advisory Board
Austrian Federal Ministry for Environment (Deputy Director General)
Awards and honours
* Grand Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
* Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria
* Winner of most important Austrian journalism "Environment Award;"
* Winner of the EU co-funded "Genius" Award for Innovation.
* Austrian Supply Innovation Award 2008 for "Chemical Leasing"
* Invited speaker at the
European Forum Alpbach
The European Forum Alpbach (EFA) is an Austrian nonprofit organisation and foundation based in Vienna, Austria. It is best known for hosting the event of the same name in the village of Alpbach. It is an interdisciplinary platform for science, po ...
(1992).
External links
*
Dr. Jakl's keynote at the Conference for a "Non Toxic Future" hosted by the Danish Environment ministry, 24 November 2016*
Dr. Jakl addresses high level audience at ECHA's 10th anniversary*
Thomas' Opening of the Green Chemistry Conference of the Austrian EU-Presidency 2018*
Thomas as "Chemical Leasing" testimonial at the 4th Global Chemical Leasing Award ceremony*
Thomas moderating the 5th Chemical Leasing Award ceremony 2018*
Dr. Jakl's speech on perspectives for the chemicals industry, World Environment Day 2011, UNOV*
Presentation for World Environment Day 2011* Link to the European initiative on Human Biomonitoring "HBM4EU":
*
* Thomas specifies the future European science/policy interface in the front-page article in the HBM4EU newsletter 09/2020
*
Dr. Jakl on Persistent Organic Pollutants "Stop the POPs"*
Thomas' presentation at the "REACH and beyond" conference, 20 October 2015, Brussels*
Entropy, Epigenetics, Efficiency 3 "E’s"–the Pillars for a Chemicals Policy Vision beyond 2020; ISC3 Newsletter December 2016Interview in ECHA's newsletter, September 2015*
European Science and Innovation Days 2019 - panel debate on Environment ant Health; Thomas' statement starts around minute 16*
Keynote German EU - Presidency Conference HBMC2020 Oct 2020*
Research must move closer to politics! HBM4EU Newsletter 2020*
Opening of the Launch Event for Austria's Circular Economy Strategy*
Thomas joining a TV - discussion on the future of chemistry*
Introducing "Green Chemistry"
Thomas is on Facebook:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jakl, Thomas
Austrian environmentalists
Year of birth missing (living people)