Plastik & Klima

The document details how plastic production and disposal contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, projecting that by 2050, these emissions could consume 10 to 13 percent of the remaining carbon budget. It identifies four main emission phases: raw material extraction and transport, refining and manufacturing, waste disposal, and the degradation of plastic in the environment. The report emphasizes that current climate models often underestimate these impacts and argues that the only effective solution is an immediate reduction in the production and use of plastics, alongside a halt to new petrochemical infrastructure.

• Plastic-related greenhouse gas emissions are projected to reach over 56 gigatonnes by 2050, which represents between 10 and 13 percent of the total remaining carbon budget required to limit global warming to 1.5 °C.
• In 2019, the production and incineration of plastic were estimated to generate more than 850 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, an amount equivalent to the emissions of 189 500-megawatt coal-fired power plants.
• The refining and manufacturing phase is one of the most greenhouse gas-intensive sectors in the manufacturing industry; for example, 24 ethylene plants in the US produced 17.5 million tonnes of CO2e in 2015.
• Waste disposal emissions are dominated by incineration, which produces the highest share of greenhouse gases among disposal methods; global emissions from burning plastic packaging alone were 16 million tonnes of CO2e in 2015.
• Plastic in the environment contributes to climate change by releasing methane and other greenhouse gases as it decomposes, and microplastics may impair the ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide by affecting phytoplankton and zooplankton.
• The report argues that supplementary measures like renewable energy or bio-based plastics are insufficient; the most effective strategy is the immediate reduction of plastic production and use and the prevention of petrochemical infrastructure expansion.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). Plastik & Klima. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ciel-ES-GHG-German-10.19-02.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Plastik & Klima. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ciel-ES-GHG-German-10.19-02.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Plastik & Klima |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ciel-ES-GHG-German-10.19-02.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndplastik, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Plastik \& Klima}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ciel-ES-GHG-German-10.19-02.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }