My deep thanks to the Governments of Japan and Rwanda, and our UN partner UNIDO for hosting this event. Now much has been said during this rich discussion and we are all in agreement that plastic pollution is something we must end. But dealing with plastic pollution isn’t just about saving marine wildlife. Today, we produce vast amounts of plastic for single use. We take the hydrocarbon material out of the belly of the earth and the environment and introduce the new product – plastic – into the economy. And once we are done with it, we discard it back into the environment as garbage or we burn it causing harmful emissions. A comprehensive circular approach would ensure that plastic, a material that is both durable and versatile, would not be designed for single use, but once introduced into the economy it remains there.
At the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly here in Nairobi, Kenya earlier this year, Member States adopted a resolution to create, by 2024, an international legally binding agreement on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. This resolution is our best bet at creating a circular plastics economy and showing how it should be done in other sectors.
Work has begun on shaping this deal. I do not want to be too prescriptive, but at the same allow me to share what I see as important elements on how we get this deal right. As I see it, the deal must be ambitious, well-designed, and inclusive. I believe the deal should identify clear, defined, and monitorable targets – against which Member States can measure progress as they engage the entire value chain to end plastic pollution. I think the deal needs to be inclusive and address the concerns of the entire spectrum of countries, irrespective of where they are in the global plastics economy. So here are a few thoughts on how to get there.
First, build a broad instrument so that it is not just tinkering around the edges of the problem.
The deal must cover the full life cycle of plastics use. Consider different types of polymers and plastic products. Prioritize sustainable consumption and production, including the uptake of secondary and alternative raw materials. Deploy innovative reuse models. Design products that keep the highest value when recycling plastic. Address the chemical contents in plastics to enable safe reuse and recycling. Develop safe and environmentally sound waste management. Eliminate residual waste along the value chain.
Second, be informed by science.
The deal must rely on science to identify hotspots for action along the value chain – looking at the most impactful polymers, products, sectors, geographic locations, and waste systems. Science has laid out the full scale of plastic pollution problem. It must be our guide as we fix the problem.
Third, we must work closely with and involve all stakeholders.
The deal must account for the realities and complexities of the market – hear and understand the voices of plastic-dependent industries and grassroots communities, including waste pickers and others. In this regard, I was pleased to see that multi-stakeholder dialogues were part and parcel of the adhoc Open Ended Working Group discussions to end plastic pollution which was held a few months ago in Dakar, Senegal. We will need governments, the private sector, research and development communities, indigenous peoples, the informal sector, youth, civil society organizations, consumer-based organizations, and business. We will need everyone to land and implement the deal.
Fourth, it is time to spur solutions for a new plastics economy.
It is important to remember that this is not just about ending an environmental threat. It is about creating new economic opportunities and alleviating poverty. We are talking about new business models, new jobs. New market opportunities for recycling. New and alternative designs, materials, and products. Social and policy innovation to nudge behaviour changes in actions of different stakeholders along the plastics life cycle. Let’s view this as creating a new economy, not destroying an old one.
And the good news is that countries are fast getting on board. In the past few months we have seen 33 countries join the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, sending a clear signal that more and more governments are joining this journey to fight against plastic pollution with circularity as the key tool in hand.
And finally, fifth, learn from other multilateral agreements and instruments, but also be ready and willing to embrace new and bold innovations in the multilateral environmental space.
There is much experience that can be learned from existing instruments. From the Montreal Protocol to the Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Minamata Conventions. And that is important. But we should also innovate. We can find new pathways for modern, inclusive, networked multilateralism to give a broader set of stakeholders a voice. To give industry a chance to commit and measure themselves or be measured against the targets you will agree. Ideas and voices must circulate before plastics can circulate.
Friends,
Circularity isn’t just a buzzword. Embracing circularity is only way humanity is going to survive. We are a small species clinging to the surface of a rock hurtling through space. Despite the message that movies and billionaire space tourists present, we have nowhere else to go. And even as we concentrate our efforts on an ambitious agreement, we cannot sit on the fence and wait for action. Concerted, bold action to address plastic pollution must continue in parallel. Because each time our planet circles the sun and returns, at year’s end, to where it was before, we on this planet have fewer resources. We have a diminishing opportunity to end the triple planetary crisis. So, we must sure that there is enough to go around, and around, and around – by making our economies circular, and by making this happen now.
Thank you.
