A beautiful future awaits – but only if we deliver an ambitious treaty to end plastic pollution

The author assesses the INC-2 negotiations in Paris, noting that while procedural delays occurred, a majority of governments aligned with the vision for comprehensive binding rules across the plastic lifecycle and global bans on high-risk materials. The text emphasizes the need for a circular economy, the role of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, and the specific responsibility of the US to reduce its disproportionately high waste generation ahead of the INC-3 meeting in Nairobi.

• The INC-2 negotiations in Paris faced initial delays of nearly two days because a small number of governments challenged the provisionally agreed rules of procedure.
• By the end of INC-2, most governments supported a treaty featuring comprehensive binding rules for the entire plastic lifecycle and global bans on unnecessary and high-risk plastic materials, such as single-use products.
• Governments have been mandated to produce a "zero draft" working outline of the treaty before the INC-3 meeting scheduled for November in Nairobi, Kenya.
• The Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty advocates for a holistic approach that includes regulations on the prevention, reduction, circulation, and remediation of plastics to transition toward a circular economy.
• The United States generates three times more waste than the global average despite representing only 5% of the world's population, with 77% of Americans viewing plastic waste as a problem.

APA

Simon, E. (2023). A beautiful future awaits – but only if we deliver an ambitious treaty to end plastic pollution. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/perspectives/sustainability-works-hub/sustainability-works-index/a-beautiful-future-awaits-but-only-if-we-deliver-an-ambitious-treaty-to-end-plastic-pollution/

Chicago

Simon, Erin. A beautiful future awaits – but only if we deliver an ambitious treaty to end plastic pollution. WWF International, 2023. https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/perspectives/sustainability-works-hub/sustainability-works-index/a-beautiful-future-awaits-but-only-if-we-deliver-an-ambitious-treaty-to-end-plastic-pollution/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Simon |first1=Erin |title=A beautiful future awaits – but only if we deliver an ambitious treaty to end plastic pollution |publisher=WWF International |date=2 June 2023 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/perspectives/sustainability-works-hub/sustainability-works-index/a-beautiful-future-awaits-but-only-if-we-deliver-an-ambitious-treaty-to-end-plastic-pollution/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{simon2023beautiful, author = {Simon, Erin}, title = {{A beautiful future awaits – but only if we deliver an ambitious treaty to end plastic pollution}}, publisher = {WWF International}, year = {2023}, month = jun, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/perspectives/sustainability-works-hub/sustainability-works-index/a-beautiful-future-awaits-but-only-if-we-deliver-an-ambitious-treaty-to-end-plastic-pollution/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }