Addressing global plastic pollution: A timeline leading up to the INC
In recognition of the forthcoming INC meetings to tackle global plastic pollution, UNEP compiled a series of plastic-related initiatives that have helped shape the historic resolution at at the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly UNEA-5.2 to end plastic pollution and forge an international legally binding agreement by 2024.
July 2022
At the 2022 UN Ocean Conference, the United States of America and the European Commission announced they had joined the Clean Seas campaign, demonstrating their commitment to ending plastic pollution. Other recent newcomers include Cabo Verde, Portugal, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, bringing the number of Member States that have joined the global movement to 69, making up 76 per cent of the world’s coastline.
June 2022
The ad hoc open-ended working group launched the work of the INC developing a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution when it convened in Dakar, Senegal, from 30 May to 1 June 2022.
March 2022
World leaders agreed to the historic resolution 5/14 at UNEA-5.2 in Nairobi to negotiate an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, by 2024.
February 2022
Eleven new governments, including the national governments of Canada, Colombia, Greece, Italy, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Spain and the Basque Country, joined like-minded governments as part of the New Plastic Economy Global Commitment at the One Ocean Summit.
September 2021
Ecuador, Germany, Ghana and Vietnam jointly organized the Global Conference on Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution on 1–2 September 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland, resulting in a Ministerial Statement calling for a new global agreement on plastic pollution at UNEA5.2.
January 2021
The Plastic Waste Amendments of the Basel Convention entered into force. The Amendments clarify the categories of plastic waste subject to the Convention’s control procedure for transboundary movements – the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure, the provisions pertaining to waste minimization and the provisions pertaining to the environmentally sound management of waste.
November 2020
The ad hoc open-ended expert group (AHEG) on marine litter and microplastics concluded its work at its 4th session held online from 9–13 November 2020. The AHEG resulted in a Chair’s Summary to inform the fifth meeting of the UNEA-5 on how best to tackle marine litter and microplastics.
January 2020
The Global Tourism Plastic Initiative, launched at the Fitur 2020 international tourism trade fair by the WTO, UNEP and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, unites the sector behind a common vision to tackle the root causes of plastic pollution, enabling businesses and governments to take joint action.
February 2019
The United Nations launched the Tide Turners Programme in partnership with the World Organization of Scout Movement (WOSM) and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). It has since become the UN’s largest youth-led plastic movement and operates in 67 countries. The Tide Turners Plastic Challenge Badge is part of the Earth Tribe. In this ground-breaking initiative, young people can learn and act on environmental issues aggregated on one platform.
October 2018
UNEP and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation launched the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, which now unites over 500 signatories, including businesses, governments, and other organizations from around the world, behind a common vision of a circular economy for plastic in which it never becomes waste or pollution.
June 2018
Since it began in 1973, World Environment Day has become a platform for public outreach and the single largest celebration of our environment each year. Beat Plastic Pollution was the 2018 World Environment Day theme, creating a call to action for the world to work together to raise awareness around the need to reduce the heavy burden of plastic pollution on people’s health and the threat it poses to the environment and wildlife.
February 2017
UNEP launched the Clean Seas campaign, which has become a catalyst for change, transforming habits, practices and policies around the globe to dramatically reduce plastic pollution and marine litter and raise awareness of plastics' negative environmental, social, economic, and health impacts. The Clean Seas campaign is the largest global coalition devoted to ending marine plastic pollution.
