WWF calls for global joint approach to new agreement on plastic pollution

Countries around the world are taking the necessary actions to address the plastic crisis, but current measures have not yet reached the scale to bring about systemic change, and regulatory measures are inconsistent and fragmented, failing to address the root causes of the plastic pollution problem
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WWF calls for joint global action

The report shows that the environmental and social costs of plastics are at least 10 times higher than the market prices paid by primary plastics producers, imposing huge external costs on countries
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Now is a critical time for governments to take action to ensure that all players in the plastic system are responsible for the costs of plastic that reflect the impact it has on nature and people over its life cycle
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The plastic problem is cross-regional, and an effective solution to the plastic crisis requires truly global action
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What is currently lacking most in tackling the plastic problem, however, is global collaboration
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Recognizing these challenges, civil society, business and financial institutions are increasingly calling for a new global agreement to tackle ocean plastic pollution
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To reach this new agreement, governments need to start negotiations with a formal negotiating mandate at the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA5.
2) in February 2022
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As of the end of September 2021, 80 countries around the world have signed the World Oceans Day Plastic Pollution Statement, collectively calling for a new legally binding global agreement on plastic pollution
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Waste management issues are particularly acute in developing countries

In the report "A New Agreement on Plastic Pollution - An Asian Perspective", it is pointed out that the challenges of marine plastic pollution are also very serious: lack of complete data on the life cycle of plastic; poor monitoring and awareness of marine plastic pollution; difficulty in obtaining financial resources and technology support; limited options for remediation of coastal plastic pollution; insufficient participation by the plastics industry,
etc.

Some of the measures taken by many Asian countries have introduced plans or regulations to phase out certain single-use plastics
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Or through innovative ways to promote the participation of the plastics industry, especially through the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime
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Among Asia's expectations for a global plastic pollution agreement include: the agreement should reflect the precautionary principle, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and the principle of polluter pays
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In addition, the agreement should also drive the adoption of a full lifecycle management approach and enable the transition to a circular economy
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