Why it's time for a coordinated global approach to plastic pollution

The authors call for a coordinated global approach to plastic pollution, emphasizing that voluntary corporate action is insufficient. They advocate for a UN treaty with legally binding rules covering the full lifecycle of plastic, including production reduction, circular economy standards, and infrastructure for waste management, to align with Paris Agreement climate targets.

• To align with the climate targets of the Paris Agreement, there must be a 3% annual reduction in the global use of virgin plastics derived from fossil fuels.
• Global plastic use is expected to nearly triple by 2060, driven by increases in income and population.
• The authors argue that voluntary corporate efforts are insufficient and that a cohesive global regulatory framework is necessary to define strategies for reducing virgin plastic, establishing product design norms, and implementing extended producer responsibility (EPR) programmes.
• A just transition to a circular economy must account for the 20 million people globally whose livelihoods depend on the informal waste management sector, specifically the sorting, disposal, and remediation of plastic waste.
• The authors call on United Nations member governments to implement binding international regulations covering the entire lifecycle of plastic to ensure all actors follow the same rules.

APA

de Saint-Affrique, M. S. A. (2023). Why it's time for a coordinated global approach to plastic pollution. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/time-for-a-coordinated-approach/

Chicago

de Saint-Affrique, Mark Schneider, Antoine. Why it's time for a coordinated global approach to plastic pollution. World Economic Forum, 2023. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/time-for-a-coordinated-approach/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=de Saint-Affrique |first1=Mark Schneider, Antoine |title=Why it's time for a coordinated global approach to plastic pollution |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=2 June 2023 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/time-for-a-coordinated-approach/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{desaintaffrique2023why, author = {de Saint-Affrique, Mark Schneider, Antoine}, title = {{Why it's time for a coordinated global approach to plastic pollution}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2023}, month = jun, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/time-for-a-coordinated-approach/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }