January 2026 Update
Happy New Year! After a busy and productive 2025, we look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts to eliminate workers’ exposure to toxic chemicals in the electronics supply chain in 2026.
After a series of Train-the-Trainer sessions, a global network of Qualified Trainers are now equipped to deploy CEPN’s Chemical Safety Training across the electronics supply chain in person and via webinar. The Network’s Technical Review Board has developed preliminary recommendations on the 3rd Round of Priority Chemicals, and the 4th TZE Annual Report has been published.
Read on to catch up on the latest from CEPN and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date.
Please reach out to us with any questions, comments or feedback. We’d love to hear from you!
A Global Network of Trainers is Ready to Provide CEPN's Chemical Safety Training
CEPN’s Chemical Safety Training disseminates best practices in process chemical management to help reduce worker exposure to hazardous chemicals in the electronics industry, strengthen worker engagement, and develop capacity for local service providers and in-house personnel to support worker safety.
Qualified Trainers: Over the course of 2025, CEPN hosted 2 in-person and 2 virtual Chemical Safety Train-the-Trainer sessions, expanding the list of Qualified Trainer locations to 9 countries including China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Eleven organizations across these 9 countries now have the skills and knowledge and are qualified to lead sessions on CEPN’s Chemical Safety Training, helping us expand the program’s influence and reach suppliers throughout the global electronics supply chain. Contact information for each of these organizations is available on CEPN’s website.
Interactive Digital Training: The digital version of the training is also available for free on one platform (atingi) via CEPN’s website with additional platforms coming soon!
Supplier Recognition: Facilities can earn recognition on the CEPN website for implementing the training. Learn more on our website.
Selection of CEPN's 3rd Round of Priority Chemicals is Underway
The selection of CEPN’s Priority Chemicals is a comprehensive process, starting with a list of nominated chemicals identified from CEPN member company and other publicly available MRSLs, aggregated and anonymized data from CEPN’s Process Chemical Data Collection Tool, as well as nominations solicited from stakeholders. These nominated chemicals then undergo a thorough evaluation for high hazard, use as a process chemical, potential for worker exposure and availability of viable safer alternatives.
As a part of the selection process, CEPN’s Technical Review Board met four times over the Fall of 2025 to evaluate and develop preliminary recommendations on the 3rd Round of Priority Chemicals.
We'll be conducting a stakeholder consultation in early 2026. Reach out to us at info@cleanelectronicsproduction.org if you're interested in participating!
TZE Satisfies Criterion 6.4.1 in Newly Launched EPEAT 2.0
Congratulations to the Global Electronics Council for recently launching EPEAT 2.0. This next generation ecolabel now addresses not only the sustainability aspects of the products themselves, but also broader corporate commitments and value chain due diligence such as protecting workers from process chemical exposure.
We are thrilled that CEPN’s Toward Zero Exposure program meets the requirements of and satisfies optional criterion 6.4.1 of EPEAT 2.0, reflecting our commitment to alignment across the broader electronics industry landscape.
We also congratulate CEPN members Dell, and HP - among the first companies to achieve EPEAT 2.0 - for their leadership in the electronics industry.
We look forward to continuing to support the growing momentum to empower electronics companies to better protect worker safety.
Toward Zero Exposure's 4th Annual Report Released!
Clean Electronics Production Network (CEPN)’s 4th Annual Toward Zero Exposure Report has been released! This report highlights our Toward Zero Exposure (TZE) program Signatories and their efforts to protect workers over the past year.
Signatory and program influence continued to make an impact:
Over 800 facilities in the Signatories’ manufacturing supply chains are estimated to have already substituted the 1st Round of Priority Chemicals.
Well over 100,000 employees work in production in those facilities.
More than 200 distinct supplier companies have been influenced to improve worker chemical safety by TZE Signatories.
Signatory and program influence extends to facilities in at least 29 countries.
We look forward to continuing to build on this impact in the coming year.
RBA'S Industry Focus Process Chemicals Policy Now Incorporates CEPN's 2nd Round Priority Chemicals
CEPN member Responsible Business Alliance maintains the Industry Focus Process Chemicals Policy (IFPC Policy) to support the responsible management of process chemicals of concern that are prioritized for elimination, substitution, and materials restrictions. The IFPC Policy was initially established in April of 2021 and was updated in November of 2025.
Originally based on CEPN's 1st Round of Priority Chemicals, the recent update of the IFPC Policy's chemicals of concern list for process chemicals now includes CEPN’s 2nd Round of Priority Chemicals.
The Policy is now publicly available on the RBA website.