12 Aug 2025

Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen    High-stakes negotiations resumed in Geneva on 5th August for a legally binding global treaty to tackle plastic pollution, with delegates from 175 countries attempting to finalise an agreement that has eluded negotiators for nearly three years.  The resumed fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2), scheduled to run […]

21 Jun 2022

The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP-FI) has published a briefing paper on deep-sea mining. Discussing the significant reputational, regulatory, and operational risks associated with plans to mine the deep seabed of minerals, the paper addresses how financial institutions should respond to the deep-sea mining sector. It also lays out how financial institutions wishing […]

07 Jun 2022

The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP-FI) has published a briefing paper on deep-sea mining. Discussing the significant reputational, regulatory, and operational risks associated with plans to mine the deep seabed of minerals, the paper addresses how financial institutions should respond to the deep-sea mining sector. It also lays out how financial institutions wishing […]

28 Oct 2021

UNEP ‘Climate change: UN emissions gap report a ‘thundering wake-up call’ National plans to cut carbon fall far short of what’s needed to avert dangerous climate change, according to the UN Environment Programme. Their Emissions Gap report says country pledges will fail to keep the global temperature under 1.5C this century. The Unep analysis suggests the world […]

26 Oct 2021

From Pollution to Solution: A global assessment of marine litter and plastic pollution reveals the impact of marine litter and plastic pollution in the environment and their effects on the health of ecosystems, wildlife and humans. Plastics are the largest, most harmful and most persistent fraction of marine litter, accounting for at least 85 per cent of total […]

29 Nov 2019

A new UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report is warning even if all current unconditional commitments under the Paris Agreement are implemented, temperatures are expected to rise by 3.2°C, bringing ever more wide-ranging and destructive climate impacts.  On the eve of a year in which nations are due to strengthen their Paris climate pledges, UNEP’s annual Emissions […]

13 Mar 2017

The scale of programmes and projects focusing on plastics is growing hugely. Four articles focusing on plastic and in particular plastic bottles – at different scales – Global (UNEP) to London (One bottle less) to Coca Cola to Scottish Deposit return schemes. Signup for the 38 degrees petition on deposit return schemes (211k/300K needed) 1.  […]