Plastic & Climate

The report details how plastic production and incineration contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions across four lifecycle stages: extraction and transport, refining and manufacture, waste management, and environmental degradation. It warns that by 2050, cumulative emissions from plastic could consume 10-13% of the remaining carbon budget, potentially making the 1.5°C climate target impossible to achieve. The document advocates for an immediate reduction in plastic production and the cessation of new petrochemical infrastructure to mitigate these impacts.

• In 2019, the combined processes of plastic production and incineration were projected to release over 850 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, a volume equivalent to the emissions of 189 coal-fired power plants with a capacity of 500 megawatts each.
• The report identifies four primary stages of the plastic lifecycle that emit greenhouse gases: the extraction and transport of fossil fuels, refining and manufacturing, waste management, and the ongoing degradation of plastic once it enters the environment.
• Plastic refining is described as one of the fastest-growing and most greenhouse-gas-intensive industries in manufacturing. In 2015, global emissions from ethylene production via cracking ranged between 184.3 and 213.0 million metric tons of CO2e.
• Among waste management options, incineration is the primary driver of emissions. In 2015, US emissions from plastic incineration were estimated at 5.9 million metric tons of CO2e, while global incineration emissions for plastic packaging alone reached 16 million metric tons of CO2e.
• Plastic pollution in the oceans may impair the biological carbon pump by contaminating phytoplankton and zooplankton, potentially reducing the ocean's capacity to absorb and sequester carbon dioxide.
• If current growth trajectories continue, annual emissions from plastic could reach 1.34 gigatons by 2030 and 2.8 gigatons by 2050. Cumulative emissions by 2050 are projected to exceed 56 gigatons of CO2e, representing 10-13% of the remaining carbon budget required to limit warming to 1.5°C.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). Plastic & Climate. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Plastic-and-Climate-Executive-Summary-2019.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Plastic & Climate. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Plastic-and-Climate-Executive-Summary-2019.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Plastic & Climate |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Plastic-and-Climate-Executive-Summary-2019.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndplastic, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Plastic \& Climate}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Plastic-and-Climate-Executive-Summary-2019.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }