A New Chapter: ChemFORWARD Foundation

Dear Partners, Friends, and Colleagues,

2025 was a landmark year for the safer chemistry movement. Before we look ahead, I invite you to enjoy the 1-minute retrospective video below, celebrating our progress.

Since 2018, we have been working to make chemical safety information accessible and actionable, translating complex hazard data into tools that help companies make better choices. In doing this, we have fundamentally changed the way that chemical hazard data is created, maintained, distributed, consumed, and financed through the Chemical Hazard Data Trust.  

After eight years of support and growth as a fiscally sponsored project of Habitable (formerly HBN), we applied for and received our 501(c)3 designation as ChemFORWARD Foundation. Effective January 1, 2026, we are operating as an independent organization. This new organizational structure allows us to create a wholly owned subsidiary, the Chemical Hazard Data Trust, to house the chemical hazard assessments and other hazard data. 

Earlier this month, we seated an independent, multi-stakeholder Steering Committee for the Data Trust. The core purpose of this governance structure is to realize a "new social contract" in which key players—including manufacturers, brands, retailers, policymakers, investors, and NGOs—act in concert to govern and sustain this essential dataset.

Over the next four years, ChemFORWARD is expanding its reach to embed safer chemistry tools and metrics in at least four consumer-facing supply chains, including Consumer Electronics, Beauty & Personal Care, Apparel, and Plastic Additives.

We thank you for your partnership and encouragement! We look forward to an exciting year ahead!

My best,

Stacy Glass
CEO, ChemFORWARD