Informal Briefing Note

This briefing note by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) analyzes contributions from Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) members regarding the protection of human health within a proposed international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. It focuses on the work of two ad hoc intersessional open-ended expert groups meeting in Bangkok in August 2024 to inform the final negotiation session (INC-5) in Busan, South Korea, in November 2024.

• There is a broad consensus among INC members that the future treaty's objectives must include the protection of human health from plastic pollution, though there is less focus on how to integrate this across core obligations and control measures.
• Scientific evidence indicates that plastics and associated chemicals cause wide-ranging health issues, including neurotoxic, carcinogenic, and endocrine-disrupting impacts, with nano- and micro-plastics potentially causing organ damage and inflammation.
• Vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected by plastic pollution, specifically waste management workers (formal and informal), waste pickers, and fence line communities, including indigenous peoples, located near production or disposal sites.
• Expert Group 1 is analyzing financial and non-financial means of implementation, noting that integrated financial strategies are needed to address health costs, including funding for a circular economy, just transitions for waste workers, and the development of safe alternatives.
• INC members emphasize that the treaty should use objective, science-based criteria to identify chemicals and polymers of concern, specifically considering intrinsic hazards such as persistence, bioaccumulation, and carcinogenicity.
• Proposed criteria for identifying problematic plastic products include the likelihood of harm to human health, the release of toxic substances during the life cycle, and the potential for products to degrade into microplastics.
• Members have highlighted the need for product design requirements that prevent the use of chemicals of high concern and ensure polymers are chemically stable to avoid leaching harmful materials, particularly in recycled plastics.
• To prevent 'regrettable substitution' and ensure effective health management, members suggest adopting 'grouping' approaches for chemicals and implementing mandatory material transparency and traceability requirements.

APA

Fuller, L., Bonner, O., & Birkbeck, C. D. (2024). Informal Briefing Note. Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs. https://lyrical-cormorant.files.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Publications/Human-Health_INC-IW_Submissions-relevant-to-human-health_TESS.pdf?dm=1724412510

Chicago

Fuller, Lizzie, Olivia Bonner, and Carolyn Deere Birkbeck. Informal Briefing Note. Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs, 2024. https://lyrical-cormorant.files.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Publications/Human-Health_INC-IW_Submissions-relevant-to-human-health_TESS.pdf?dm=1724412510.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Fuller |first1=Lizzie |last2=Bonner |first2=Olivia |last3=Birkbeck |first3=Carolyn Deere |title=Informal Briefing Note |publisher=Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs |date=August 2024 |url=https://lyrical-cormorant.files.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Publications/Human-Health_INC-IW_Submissions-relevant-to-human-health_TESS.pdf?dm=1724412510 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fuller2024informal, author = {Fuller, Lizzie and Bonner, Olivia and Birkbeck, Carolyn Deere}, title = {{Informal Briefing Note}}, institution = {Forum on Trade, Environment, \& the SDGs}, year = {2024}, month = aug, url = {https://lyrical-cormorant.files.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Publications/Human-Health_INC-IW_Submissions-relevant-to-human-health_TESS.pdf?dm=1724412510}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }