When the gavel came down on the resolution to end plastic pollution at the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) in Nairobi last March, there were hugs and tears among the delegates. The emotion reflected the importance of this historic milestone: a legally binding global instrumentContinue Reading
[GreenBiz publishes a range of perspectives on the transition to a clean economy. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the position of GreenBiz.] Last month, representatives from over 160 nations gathered in the seaside city of Punta del Este, Uruguay, to begin negotiations for a globalContinue Reading
Microplastics from a river in Maryland, collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association Marine Debris Program. Recent research have now found microplastics in human blood samples. DAVOS, Switzerland – The presidents of Switzerland and Ecuador led a call here at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Tuesday for greater internationalContinue Reading
Negotiations for a new Global Treaty on Plastics formally kicked off in early December. Delegates from around 160 countries met in Uruguay for the first round of talks aimed at reducing the harmful impact of plastics on both the environment and health. António Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, hasContinue Reading
This article originally appeared in our Circularity Weekly newsletter. Subscribe to the newsletter here. According to Pew and SystemIQ, plastic flows into the ocean are expected to triple by 2040. Immediate action, though, could stem the tide by more than 80 percent. That’s why when nearly 200 countries agreed to workContinue Reading
The meeting was the first to work on drafting the text of the Global Plastics Treaty, which is intended to be a legally binding document addressing plastic pollution across the value chain. | Courtesy of UNEP Mixed reactions followed the first meeting on a Global Plastics Treaty, with some complaintsContinue Reading
Last March, environmental advocates celebrated a landmark victory when United Nations negotiators agreed to write a binding global treaty on plastic pollution. As the meeting concluded, diplomats emotionally declared that multilateralism is “still alive,” and called the intergovernmental environmental deal the most significant since the 2015 Paris Agreement. The treatyContinue Reading
On Friday afternoon more than 2,000 experts will wrap up a week of negotiations on plastic pollution at one of the largest global gatherings ever to address what even industry leaders in plastics say is a crisis. It was the first meeting of a United Nations committee set up toContinue Reading
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Rep. Jared Huffman of California have joined with Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Rep. Alan Lowenthal of California to introduce the Protecting Communities From Plastics Act, or PCPA, legislation the Democrats say addresses the plastic production crisis. According to a news releaseContinue Reading
Comment on this story Comment Good morning and welcome to The Climate 202! Michael Birnbaum, a climate solutions reporter for The Washington Post, wrote the top of today’s newsletter. 🚨 Below we have a scoop about a new national monument in Nevada that President Biden is poised to designate. ButContinue Reading
