Possible elements of a new global agreement to prevent plastic pollution

A binding global agreement to address the life cycle of plastics

“…These gaps underscore the need for a legally binding global governance arrangement that would effectively and measurably limit and control plastic pollution (1,2,12). The governance failure manifests in various ways, entrenching the entire life cycle of plastics.…”

“…To reach the goal, the agreement must define global criteria for the circularity of plastic products placed on global and domestic markets (see the box ). Such harmonized cri-teria will assist countries in adopting necessary regulatory, voluntary, and market-based measures (12). Extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes should be one of the mechanisms shifting the financial and physical burden of waste management to plastics producers and incentivizing design for circularity from the onset.…”

“…To effectively implement the agreement and follow up on its goals, concrete obligations, support measures, institutional arrangements, and mechanisms for strengthening nonstate action and for coordination with existing treaties need to be developed (12).…”

“…Building on experiences in other agreements, reporting should use a format that requires quantitative and qualitative data that are considered meaningful. A secretariat to the convention will need to be established, which should support reporting (12). To ensure that the information provided by governments is comprehensive and to inform future policy-making, a transparent review mechanism for national reports should be included.…”

How Can the Scope of a New Global Legally Binding Agreement on Plastic Pollution to Facilitate an Efficient Negotiation Be Clearly Defined?

“…A new global agreement must consider the broader challenges that underpin the processes leading to leakage of plastics into the environment. 5 As discussed above, terms such as “marine”, “litter”, “waste”, and “debris” may contribute to limiting the scope of the agreement, failing to address plastic’s entire life cycle and broad environmental impact. Along the same line of argumentation, microplastics should be a subordinate topic to plastic pollution.…”