Global Plastics Treaty

Delegates gather in Canada for the latest round of negotiations towards a Global Plastics Treaty(including in the marine environment), with analysis by EIA finding that the Treaty ‘could halve plastic production emissions’ and Pew puts forward its recommendations for a ‘Global Solution’.

Meanwhile, research shows that plant-based plastic releases nine times less microplastics than conventional plastic and a global business coalition shares its insights with negotiators. Finally, the plastics industry heats the world four times as much as air travel, a report finds.

UN Ocean Science Decade conference

The UN Ocean Science Decade conference concluded recently with a publication of the ‘Barcelona Statement’. The statement identifies three sets of priorities: i) ocean knowledge and science generation to inform management decisions; ii) infrastructure needs including for marine pollution monitoring and ocean observations; and iii) cross-cutting issues such as the shift to policy action as a stronger driver for science and knowledge generation, co-designing initiatives with all societal actors, and embracing all knowledge systems. The Statement also includes a specific focus on the needs of under-represented groups.

Useful summaries of the conference can be read from IISD, Defra and Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

Our Ocean conference

A series ‘pledges’ for the ocean came around again at the Our Ocean Conference in Greece. The get-together typically sees several nations making commitments for conservation and pledging huge sums of money. Perhaps the most significant pledge came from Greece itself where it committed to be the ‘the first in Europe’ to ban bottom trawling in MPAs.

The EU announced €3.5 billion worth of commitments and in total this year’s conference finished with 469 new commitments worth more than $11.3 billion. Analysis from Oregon State University found that seventy-two percent of the commitments made since 2014 at these conferences have been completed. However, the amount committed is dropping considerably year on year, with $16 billion pledged in 2022 and in 2019 the figure was $63 billion.

‘High Seas Treaty’

The European Union and the governments of 13 countries urged nations to prioritise the ratification of a U.N. treaty.

The EU and the governments of Belgium, Bermuda, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Greece, South Korea, Nigeria, Palau, the Philippines and Seychelles committed that the “High Seas” treaty swiftly secure the 60 ratifications needed to get into force.

The Seychelles recently became the latest country to ratify the Treaty, bringing the total number to 4 of the 60 required.