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The document outlines the systemic health risks posed by plastics across their entire life cycle, from fossil fuel extraction to waste management. It highlights how exposure to microplastics and toxic additives occurs through inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact, leading to severe conditions such as cancer and endocrine disruption. The author argues that current fragmented approaches are insufficient and calls for a preventive strategy based on transparency, legal frameworks for information access, and a general reduction in plastic manufacturing.

The report details how plastics threaten human health at every stage of their lifecycle. It highlights toxic emissions during fossil fuel extraction (specifically hydraulic fracturing) and refining, the leaching of endocrine disruptors and carcinogens from consumer products and packaging, and the release of hazardous pollutants through waste incineration. It further examines the pervasive presence of microplastics in the air, water, and food chain, and their potential to cause inflammation, genetic toxicity, and organ damage. The document concludes that current fragmented regulatory approaches are insufficient and calls for a global reduction in plastic production based on human rights and health protections.

The policy brief examines the role of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) in decarbonising the plastics sector. It highlights that while oil refining and bulk chemical manufacturing are covered, waste incineration remains excluded. The author argues that free allowance allocations have historically created windfall profits for refineries (4.6 billion EUR) and petrochemicals (1.7 billion EUR) between 2008 and 2015, hindering emission reductions. To drive a zero-carbon transition, the document recommends increasing the CO2 price signal, phasing out free allowances, recycling auction revenues into climate innovation, and including Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) incineration in the EU ETS to discourage the burning of 20-30 million tonnes of plastic waste annually.

A coalition of trade associations, businesses, and NGOs argues that excluding waste incinerators and landfills from the EU ETS creates distorted price signals and undermines circular economy goals. They call on the Commission to use its mandate under Article 30(7) of the EU ETS Directive to propose the inclusion of these sectors by 2026 for implementation in 2028, noting that incineration emits over 95 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent annually and landfills produce potent methane emissions.

Carbon Market Watch proposes a comprehensive strengthening of the EU ETS, including increasing the Linear Reduction Factor to reach zero emissions by 2040 and increasing the Market Stability Reserve intake rate to 36% from 2024. The organization advocates for the full auctioning of emission allowances, earmarking 100% of revenues for climate action, and extending the system to include international maritime transport and waste incineration. Conversely, it argues against including road transport and buildings in the ETS and opposes the inclusion of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) credits.

The report details the environmental and public health impacts of waste incinerators in New Jersey, specifically highlighting how these facilities are located in low-income communities of color. It provides data on air pollution emissions and permit violations, criticizes the use of renewable energy subsidies for incineration, and proposes a policy framework to phase out incinerators in favor of zero-waste strategies.

The report details the environmental and public health impacts of waste incinerators in New Jersey, highlighting their disproportionate location in overburdened communities of color and low-income areas. It documents significant air permit violations and the receipt of millions in clean energy subsidies despite high emissions. The authors propose a shift toward a zero-waste hierarchy—emphasizing redesign, reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting—and recommend that New Jersey ban new incinerators and decommission existing ones by 2030.

The document presents a manifesto for 'Energy Sovereignty Now!', calling for a shift away from capitalist and neoliberal energy models toward a system centered on human rights, environmental justice, and community control. It outlines ten demands, including the transition to 100% renewable energy, the recognition of energy as a common good rather than a commodity, and the implementation of a just transition that protects workers and marginalized groups. The manifesto emphasizes the historical responsibility of the Global North to provide climate finance and lead in emission reductions, while advocating for decentralized, small-scale renewable technologies managed democratically by local communities.