Search Climate Insights Directory

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes the Zero Draft of the plastics treaty, arguing for legally binding obligations ('shall' instead of 'should') and a full life cycle approach. CIEL identifies critical gaps in the draft, including the absence of human rights protections, a lack of clear tasks for the governing body, and the need for a production capacity freeze to prevent the lock-in of plastic production. The analysis advocates for global reduction targets for primary plastic polymers, the elimination of chemicals of concern, and the establishment of a global plastic pollution fee to fund implementation, particularly for developing countries, SIDS, and least developed countries.

The document argues that a plastics treaty must include a clear mandate for implementation and compliance mechanisms, including the early creation of an Implementation and Compliance Committee. It recommends a combined approach that is primarily facilitative but allows for punitive non-compliance response measures. To ensure effectiveness, the brief proposes a dual reporting system: frequent reports on legal obligations and less frequent reports on broader implementation, impacts, and challenges.

The document argues that fragmented national approaches to plastic pollution are insufficient and calls for coordinated international trade-related action. It proposes a framework for categorizing single-use plastics based on their environmental impact and technical feasibility of substitution. Key recommendations include developing common guiding criteria for 'problematic' plastics, implementing trade-related control measures such as import/export bans and tariffs, and promoting eco-design and non-plastic substitutes. The brief highlights the roles of the WTO's Dialogue on Plastics Pollution (DPP) and the International Negotiating Committee (INC) for the plastics treaty as primary vehicles for this cooperation, while also suggesting the involvement of the WCO and ISO to improve trade transparency and standards.

The report highlights that the true lifetime cost of plastic is 8 times higher in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) than in high-income countries (HICs), primarily due to higher waste mismanagement rates and subsequent marine ecosystem damage. It identifies three structural inequities: the lack of influence LMICs have over global production, their limited waste management capacity, and the absence of accountability mechanisms for producers. To address this, WWF calls for a global treaty with binding rules on production bans, circular design standards, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes.

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.

The document maps the landscape of standards and standard-setting processes relevant to the international effort to end plastic pollution. It analyzes three categories of instruments: government legislation and regulations, voluntary multistakeholder standards, and non-governmental initiatives. The paper aims to inform discussions within the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) and the WTO's Dialogue on Plastics Pollution (DPP) regarding the transformation of global supply chains and the technical capacity of developing countries.

The Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) provides feedback on a draft WTO statement for MC13, urging members to move from identifying actions to advancing concrete commitments. TESS recommends strengthening the document's environmental credibility, specifically by cautioning against the promotion of certain bioplastics like polylactic acid (PLA) and emphasizing the needs of developing countries and small island developing states (SIDS). The statement advocates for increased transparency in trade flows, enhanced capacity building for manufacturing sustainable substitutes, and closer alignment with the ongoing international plastics treaty process and the Basel Convention.

The document outlines the interconnectedness of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, pollution, and social injustice. It argues that current economic and social systems based on fossil fuels and overconsumption are unsustainable, leading to severe impacts such as rising sea levels, water scarcity, and air pollution. The guide advocates for a fundamental shift toward circular economies, sustainable agriculture, and a 'just transition' that prioritizes the rights of the poor, women, and indigenous populations to ensure the planet's regeneration.

The document examines the role of fiscal incentives in driving plastic production and proposes that the future plastics treaty adopt the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM Agreement) definition of subsidies to ensure legal coherence and workability. It distinguishes between direct subsidies (e.g., grants for plants) and indirect subsidies (e.g., cheap fossil fuel feedstocks), recommending a form-based prohibition for the former and an effects-based prohibition for the latter. The brief emphasizes the need for transparency, binding elimination targets, and special and differential treatment for developing countries to facilitate a just transition.

The document categorizes plastics-related instruments into government legislation, voluntary multistakeholder standards, and non-governmental initiatives. It identifies significant gaps in standards for upstream production and reuse systems, while noting a concentration of existing efforts in waste management. The authors argue for enhanced international cooperation to reduce regulatory fragmentation and improve inclusivity for developing countries, suggesting that a future global plastics treaty could drive the development of harmonized design and transparency standards.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), Women’s Healthy Environments Network (WHEN), and Breast Cancer Action Quebec (BCAQ) advocate for mandatory, transparent pollution prevention plans for large grocery chains to reduce single-use plastic food packaging. They argue that reuse systems are the most effective waste reduction method and demand that any new packaging be free of toxic chemicals like PFAS and phthalates. The organizations emphasize that plastic production is a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions and that plastic-related health harms disproportionately affect marginalized communities, including Indigenous peoples in Canada.

The investigation tracked 21 items of clothing submitted to ten fashion brands across the UK, France, Belgium, and Germany using airtag trackers. The findings reveal a significant gap between brand promises of reuse and recycling and the actual outcomes: 60% of items were either destroyed, downcycled, or remained stuck in warehouses, while others were shipped to African markets where they often become waste. Only five items were successfully resold within Europe. The report argues that these schemes often encourage further consumption through discount vouchers and lack transparency and traceability, effectively shifting the waste burden to the Global South.

The document summarizes the outcomes of the WWF Plastic Policy Summit held in March 2023. It argues for an urgent shift from a linear to a circular economy through a full life cycle approach to plastic, emphasizing the need for immediate action before the 2025 global treaty negotiations. The report identifies nine strategic interventions, ranging from reducing virgin plastic production to expanding deposit return systems, and provides specific policy and operational recommendations for federal, state, and local governments, as well as the private sector. A central theme is the prioritization of environmental justice to protect communities historically burdened by plastic production and waste.

The document details a multi-stakeholder approach to ending plastic pollution, emphasizing source reduction, reuse systems, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). It advocates for a full life cycle approach that integrates environmental justice and data transparency to inform policy at local, state, and federal levels in the United States, while aligning with an upcoming global plastics treaty.

The authors highlight the systemic health and environmental risks of plastic, from fossil fuel extraction to waste, specifically noting the dangers of PVC and DEHP in healthcare and the disproportionate impact of plastic manufacturing on marginalized communities and workers. They call for an ambitious global treaty to reduce production and for the Canadian government to phase out hazardous chemicals and single-use plastics.

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 report serves as a glossary for negotiators of the future 'plastics treaty' mandated by UNEA Resolution 5/14. It aggregates definitions across twelve categories, including generic pollution, plastic-specific terms, waste management, and the full life cycle of plastics, drawing from sources such as the Basel Convention, OECD, ISO, and EU directives.

The document examines the scale and transparency of global plastics trade, noting that the 2021 trade value reached at least $1.2 trillion. It argues that current statistical classification methods hinder the transparency needed for effective policymaking to end plastic pollution.

Bill S-5 introduces the first federal recognition of the right to a healthy environment in Canada and strengthens the framework for managing toxic substances by prioritizing CMRs and PBiT substances. It introduces accountability mechanisms for substance assessments, such as a 'watch list' and mandatory publication of reasons for delays. However, the document argues that further updates are needed regarding citizen lawsuits, national air quality standards, consumer product labelling, genetically modified animals, ocean dumping, First Nations reserve land protections, and plastic waste exports.

The STeP Fellowship Program aims to build human and institutional capacities in IAI member states to provide expert scientific advice for public policy on global change. Between 2022 and 2023, the program expanded its cohort to 64 fellows from 13 countries, providing training in science diplomacy, communication, and leadership. Key achievements include the graduation of the first cohort of 17 alumni in February 2023 and the development of science diplomacy projects covering topics such as the lithium supply chain, circular economy, and climate justice. The program is currently seeking financial support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.