Why a global treaty is needed to tackle our plastics problem

The author contends that plastic pollution is a global crisis that cannot be solved by individual nations or technology alone, necessitating a binding international agreement. The text highlights the environmental and health risks of plastics, suggests modeling a treaty after the Paris Agreement or Montreal Protocol, and advocates for a 'polluter pays' funding mechanism to support the transition to zero waste.

• Plastic production is increasing rapidly, with 322 million metric tons produced in 2015 and projections suggesting this figure could be four times higher by 2050.
• Plastic pollution causes severe environmental and economic damage, including the annual entry of up to 13 million tons of plastic into oceans, which threatens wildlife and costs the tourism industry hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
• The author argues that technological solutions like biodegradable plastics or plastic-digesting bacteria are insufficient, and the only effective solution is to significantly reduce plastic waste.
• Proposed frameworks for a global treaty include a model based on the Paris climate agreement—combining a binding goal with voluntary national plans—or a model based on the Montreal Protocol involving caps and bans on new plastic production.
• A successful transition to zero waste requires a funding mechanism based on the 'polluter pays' principle, targeting the global plastic industry which generates approximately $750 billion in annual revenues.

APA

Fuhr, L. (2017). Why a global treaty is needed to tackle our plastics problem. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/we-need-a-global-treaty-to-tackle-the-worlds-plastics-problem-heres-why/

Chicago

Fuhr, Lili. Why a global treaty is needed to tackle our plastics problem. World Economic Forum, 2017. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/we-need-a-global-treaty-to-tackle-the-worlds-plastics-problem-heres-why/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Fuhr |first1=Lili |title=Why a global treaty is needed to tackle our plastics problem |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=23 May 2017 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/we-need-a-global-treaty-to-tackle-the-worlds-plastics-problem-heres-why/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{fuhr2017why, author = {Fuhr, Lili}, title = {{Why a global treaty is needed to tackle our plastics problem}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2017}, month = may, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/we-need-a-global-treaty-to-tackle-the-worlds-plastics-problem-heres-why/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }