| Press service no. 060/21
Berlin, 31 March 2021 |
Upcoming International Ministerial Conference to build a global vision to tackle marine litter and plastic pollution
Ecuador/Germany/Ghana/Vietnam, 31 March 2021 - Marine litter and plastic pollution have long been in the global spotlight. More than 120 countries have some sort of legislation in place to regulate or ban the use of single-use plastics. In Africa, 34 of 54 nations have instituted bans on single-use plastics, while the European Union has also introduced a single-use plastics ban as well as an export ban on unsorted plastic waste.
However, the flow of plastic into the ocean continues, and is projected to nearly triple by 2040. In response to this global challenge, the Governments of Ecuador, Germany, Ghana and Vietnam are jointly organizing a Ministerial Conference to build momentum and political will to advance a coherent global strategy to end marine litter and plastic pollution with an aim to ensuring a future with clean seas.
The Ministerial Conference set for September 2021 will provide a platform for informal consultations in the lead up to the second part of 5th UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), building on mandates (UNEA 3/7 and 4/6 )from the 3rd and 4th session of UNEA related to tackling marine litter and microplastics. According to the four organisers, a global agreement is needed to build consensus on the threat of marine litter, i.a. set goals, address the whole life-cycle of plastics, achieve sustainable levels of production and consumption of plastics, support science-based approaches to measuring and monitoring progress, unlock funding and provide the framework and impetus for action and change at local, national,regional and international levels.
Marine litter, a global and omnipresent problem, wreaks havoc not only in marine ecosystems but also on the planet, wildlife and human health. More specifically, over the past 65 years, 9 billion tons of plastic have been produced, yet only 9% of plastic waste has been recycled and 12% was incinerated, posing additional threats to air quality.
Up to 12 million tonnes of plastic waste end up in our oceans every year, where marine wildlife ingest or are entangled by plastic debris, causing injury and deaths. Plastic pollution also has negative impacts on food safety and quality, human health, coastal tourism, and contributes to climate change.
Further, in the recent UNEP Making Peace with Nature Report, pollution has been identified as one of three planetary crises, along with climate change and biodiversity loss, that threaten to disrupt our ability to achieve the sustainable development goals and to realize a vision of a humanity living in harmony with nature.
Following the decision to host the Conference, taken during the first session of the 5th UN Environment Assembly, the four co-conveners – facilitated by UNEP – held a panel discussion on 31 March to kick-start the process towards September’s Ministerial Conference.
Ghana is a global leader in the fight against marine litter and plastics pollution, having become the first African Nation in 2019 to join the ambitious partnership to end plastic pollution. The Partnership created Ghana’s National Plastics Action Partnership (NPAP) to support the development of a Circular Economy framework as the primary vehicle for reducing plastic waste and plastics pollution.
According to Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, “We need innovation, cooperation, and financing in waste management and the monitoring of marine litter, especially in developing countries that lack infrastructure and where the process is harder — and more difficult to pay for.”
Germany has been at the forefront of ensuring marine litter is top of mind in global fora such as at the G7 in 2015 and G20 in 2017 for the first time, developing actions plans to combat plastic marine pollution. “There is no single silver bullet to end marine litter and plastic pollution, but there surely is a toolbox to tailor solutions from. While upstream have to have priority for long-term success and downstream solutions must be deployed in addition. We have the science, we know the pathways, and the technology exists to fast track innovative that can serve the needs of people while protecting our degraded planet,” said Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of Germany.
Viet Nam has adopted a development strategy to promote maritime economy in parallel with protecting maritime environment and ecosystems, specifying “Preventing, controlling and significantly mitigating marine environmental pollution; being a regional pioneer in reducing ocean plastic waste” amongst the country’s objectives for 2030. “The time is now for countries to come together to develop a cohesive global framework -with clear milestones, stakeholder roles and responsibilities and progress indicators - to tackle transboundary marine litter and plastic pollution issues. South-East Asia is in a unique position with a significant role to play here, and a new global agreement will provide the essential boost to our regional and national actions against the global plastic crisis," said Ta Dinh Thi, Director General, Viet Nam Administration of Seas and Islands (VASI).
In November 2020, Ecuador enacted a Law for the Rationalisation, Reuse and Recycling of Plastics and the Prohibition of Single-use Plastics in Commerce, as a clear sign of its commitment to tackling this problem. “One major hurdle that scientists and policymakers face today is a lack of knowledge on the biological impacts of microplastics on both marine and human organisms. Momentum and visibility towards a global agreement, particularly in this Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainability, will be a good impetus to generate evidence around the impact of microplastics being found in our food chain and marine life. Stopping marine debris and plastic pollution will not only safeguard ocean health, but also our own health,” said Marcelo Mata Guerrero, Minister of Environment and Water.
UNEP will support Member States to convene the Ministerial Conference and to provide the best science to inform policy ahead of the reconvening of UNEA 5 in early 2022.
“We simply must take urgent and transformational action now to put the brakes on plastic pollution because we cannot afford to reach the point of no return, ” said Inger Andersen. Executive Director of UNEP. “UNEP stands ready to support member states’ discussions towards stronger global action on single-use plastics, while urging Member States and other stakeholders to start the work of eliminating single-use plastics where possible – to start reducing, reusing and recycling now, not later.”
The upcoming Ministerial Conference builds the ongoing momentum from the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Expert Group on Marine Litter and Microplastics that completed its mandate at its fourth meeting in November 2020. The expert group called for Member States and Stakeholders to recognize the magnitude and urgency of marine litter and to collaborate to turn the tide on plastic.
NOTE TO THE EDITORS
About Germany’s work around marine litter and plastic pollution
Germany was the first to put this topic on the agendas of the G7 in 2015 and the G20 in 2017, developing actions plans to combat marine litter and plastics pollution. Living up to international expectations, Germany has launched a global funding scheme to support concrete action on the ground in different regions of the world by measures at source starting at the very beginning of the life cycle, recently having started projects in India, Vietnam, the Caribbean.
On European level Germany supported the development of the Single-Use Plastic Directive, addressing 10 most common everyday plastics items found on the beaches, as well as provisions in the Port Reception Facilities Directive by establishing a no-special fee system also covering passively fished waste. Since the beginning of 2021 an export ban on unsorted plastic waste is in force and nationally Germany is strengthening the multi-use schemes widening deposit for containers and packaging and the use of recycled materials.
About Ghana’s work around marine litter and plastic pollution
Since 2019, Ghana has partnered the World Economic Forum as the first regional partner in Africa to host the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), a global initiative that seeks to harness the Forum’s convening power to facilitate strategic dialogue with the global community, and to seek international cooperation to address plastic pollution. This partnership seeks to achieve the objectives of Ghana’s National Plastics Management Policy, which outlines very bold initiatives that Ghana is taking to tackle the menace of marine litter and plastic pollution.
Ghana has also emerged as a key actor on the World Circular Economy Forum that seeks to establish Circular Economy framework as an essential vehicle for reducing marine litter and plastic pollution.
About Ecuador’s work around marine litter and plastic pollution
Since January 2020, Ecuador has been part of the Group of Friends to Combat Marine Plastic Pollution at the United Nations in New York. Since Rio+20 in 2012, Ecuador has been a committed actor in this field, by raising concerns about marine plastics in the multilateral agenda, supporting the adoption of the four UNEA Resolutions, the 2018 Action Plan under the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Decision BC-14 / 12 of 2019 under the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.
About Vietnam’s work around marine litter and plastic pollution
The National Action Plan (NAP) on marine plastic litter management through to 2030 and the amended Law on Environmental Protection (2020) have both asserted the development of a circular economy, life cycle approach and more efficient waste management as key actions to be taken. Furthermore, the NAP emphasizes that “proactively sign and implement international treaties; and coordinate in the control and management of marine plastic litter” are amongst the necessary requirements for the NAP success.
At the 2018 G7 Summit in Canada, the Prime Minister advocated for a “plastic free ocean” initiative, and called for a Global Cooperation Mechanism for Plastic Litter Mitigation. Vice-Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Minh Ngan reaffirmed in late 2020 the country’s strong support for the development of a new legally binding global agreement on the marine plastic pollution. Most recently, through Resolution No. 01/NQ-CP dated January 1st 2021, Viet Nam’s detailed plan to actively contribute to the negotiations of this new agreement is soon to be developed and finalised.
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.
UNEP promotes the protection and sustainable management of the world’s marine and coastal environments through providing the best science to inform policy and supporting countries to address land-based pollution, including through the Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML).
Reports:
Making Peace with nature: https://www.unep.org/resources/making-peace-nature
Ad Hoc Open-Ended Expert Group on Marine Litter and Microplastics: https://www.unep.org/environmentassembly/expert-group-on-marine-litter
The state of plastics: https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/25513/state_plastics_WED.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Legal limits on single-use plastics and microplastics: https://www.unep.org/resources/report/legal-limits-single-use-plastics-and-microplastics
For more information, please contact:
Ecuador: María Augusta Yepez, maria.yepez@ambiente.gob.ec
Germany: Stephan Gabriel Haufe, StephanGabriel.Haufe@bmu.bund.de
Ghana: Nasir Ahmad Yartley, nasir.yartey@mesti.gov.gh
Vietnam: Luu Anh Duc, laduc2@monre.gov.vn
UN Environment Programme: Keisha Rukikaire, Keisha.Rukikaire@un.org
