- Eleven new governments announce they will join the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment at the One Ocean Summit in Brest, France
- The science is clear – we must address plastic pollution urgently, with a systemic, life-cycle approach. We cannot simply recycle our way out of the plastic pollution crisis
- The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment provides a voluntary framework for countries to deliver concrete actions to accelerate the systemic transition towards a circular economy for plastics in which plastic never becomes waste
Nairobi, 11 February 2022 – Eleven new governments have announced today at the One Ocean Summit that they will join New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.
Led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme, the Global Commitment has united governments and organisations behind a common vision of a circular economy for plastics.
The announcement today, that the national governments of Canada, Colombia, Greece, Italy, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Spain and Uganda and sub-national level governments of the City of Paris; region of Central Greece; and the Basque Country will be joining like-minded governments under the Global Commitment is confirmation of the growing interest and commitment of countries to act urgently to Beat Plastic Pollution.
“We will not recycle our way out of the plastic pollution crisis: we need a systemic transformation to achieve the transition to a circular economy,” said Ms Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director.
A circular economy approach is needed to tackle the problem at its source according to a UNEP report published in 2021. The report detailed how a comprehensive circular economy approach could reduce the volume of plastics entering our oceans by over 80 per cent by 2040. Reduce virgin plastic production by 55 per cent. Save governments USD 70 billion between 2021-2040. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent. And create 700,000 additional jobs, mainly in the Global South.
“UNEP encourages governments and other stakeholders to commit to ambitious national actions towards creating a circular economy for plastic. Let’s congratulate these new members of the Global Commitment in showing their leadership to combat plastic pollution,” said Ms Andersen.
Background information
About the Global Commitment
The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment is led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The Ellen MacArthur Foundation leads the engagement with the private sector (the business signatories and endorsers), and UNEP leads the engagement with the governments.
About the Ellen Macarthur Foundation
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is an international charity that develops and promotes the circular economy in order to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. We work with our network of private and public sector decision-makers, as well as academia, to build capacity, explore collaborative opportunities, and design and develop circular economy initiatives and solutions. Increasingly based on renewable energy, a circular economy is driven by design to eliminate waste, circulate products and materials, and regenerate nature, to create resilience and prosperity for business, the environment, and society.
Further information: http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org | @circulareconomy
About the UN Environment Programme
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
