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A statement from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and other organizations urging the Canadian government to implement a regulatory package prohibiting toxic chemicals in plastics before the fifth negotiating session of the Global Plastics Treaty (INC-5) in November 2024.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) examines the legal distinctions between decisions made by a Conference of the Parties (COP) and the more formal processes of treaty amendments or new annexes. Using examples from various multilateral environmental agreements, it argues that COPs generally cannot fundamentally alter Party rights or obligations through simple decisions, highlighting the importance of securing strong provisions during initial treaty negotiations, particularly for the future plastics treaty.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and a coalition of signatories urge the Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change to secure an internationally binding plastics treaty that includes mandatory global and national reductions in virgin plastic production.

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.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines trade frictions arising from national plastic pollution measures implemented by World Trade Organization (WTO) members. It aims to provide recommendations for policy-makers to design regulations that reduce plastic pollution while avoiding trade disputes, particularly as UN member states work toward a legally binding international agreement on the full life cycle of plastics.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes historical negotiation timelines of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) to provide pathways for the development of a future international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. It argues that the current ambition to complete the plastics treaty by the end of 2024 is tight and suggests that previous treaties, such as the Rotterdam, Minamata, and BBNJ agreements, demonstrate that negotiations can legally and practically extend beyond initial deadlines without requiring new mandates from governing bodies.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes trade frictions arising from national and subnational plastic pollution measures implemented by WTO members. By examining Specific Trade Concerns (STCs) and Trade Policy Review (TPR) questions, the authors identify six primary types of regulatory issues—timing, transparency, stakeholder engagement, proportionality, justification, and discrimination—and provide recommendations to help policy-makers design measures that minimize trade disruptions.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute outlines ten emerging trends and geopolitical developments that are increasing the global importance of ocean governance, finance, and security.

Friends of the Earth International issues a statement calling for a legally binding global plastics treaty that addresses the entire lifecycle of plastics, from production to disposal. The organization argues that the treaty must include production limits, confront the influence of the fossil fuel industry, and end 'waste colonialism' where wealthy nations export plastic waste to the Global South.

Friends of the Earth International issues a statement calling for a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty that addresses the entire lifecycle of plastics, from production and extraction to waste management, while limiting the influence of the fossil fuel industry in negotiations.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides a detailed analysis and commentary on the Revised Zero Draft of the international plastics treaty. It evaluates various options for the treaty's structure and obligations, advocating for legally binding mandates ('shall' instead of 'should'), a full life-cycle approach to plastic pollution, and the inclusion of human rights and health dimensions. CIEL emphasizes the necessity of controlling primary plastic polymer production and eliminating hazardous chemicals to achieve the treaty's objective of ending plastic pollution.

TESS issued a statement following the WTO Dialogue on Plastics Pollution (DPP) Plenary meeting on 26 January 2024, expressing support for the finalized ministerial statement for the Thirteenth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13).

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides an annotated analysis of the Zero Draft of the international plastics treaty. CIEL argues for the use of legally binding language ('shall'), the inclusion of production capacity freezes, a grouping approach to chemicals to avoid regrettable substitutions, and the establishment of a global plastic pollution fee. The analysis emphasizes a full life cycle approach, the protection of human rights, and a just transition for workers across the entire plastic value chain.

This policy brief by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) examines options for international trade-related cooperation to address plastic pollution, specifically focusing on single-use plastics. It analyzes existing national legislative approaches, proposes criteria for identifying problematic plastics, and outlines pathways for collective action through the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the development of a global plastics treaty.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law argues that the future plastics treaty must address fiscal incentives and subsidies for primary plastic production, including indirect subsidies to fossil fuels, to effectively tackle the plastic pollution crisis.

This policy brief examines the role of international cooperation on standards in the effort to end global plastic pollution, specifically in the context of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) and the WTO's Dialogue on Plastics Pollution (DPP).

This policy paper maps the landscape of standards and initiatives related to plastic pollution to support international cooperation. It categorizes instruments into government regulations, voluntary multistakeholder standards, and non-governmental initiatives. The paper highlights the role of these standards in the ongoing negotiations for a global plastics treaty (INC) and the WTO Dialogue on Plastics Pollution (DPP), emphasizing the need for inclusiveness for developing countries and the identification of 'standards gaps' across the plastics life cycle.

A statement by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and partners calling for a global treaty to reduce plastic production and the elimination of hazardous plastics in healthcare and consumer goods to protect human health and the environment.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides a comprehensive compilation of existing definitions from Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), international organizations, and regional norms to support the negotiation of a legally binding international instrument to end plastic pollution.

This policy brief, produced by CIEL and IUCN, examines the compatibility of a proposed international treaty to end plastic pollution with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. It highlights how the international trade of plastic feedstocks, polymers, and waste accelerates the plastic crisis and serves as a mechanism for spreading micro- and nanoplastic pollution.