Ms Letivia Carvalho
Head of the Marine and Freshwater Branch,
at the Ecosystem Division. UNEP HQ, Nairabi, Kenya
IISD's invited Distinguished Guest Blog

We congratulate India for promoting the debate and for the bold national measures taken so far to address plastic pollution. Government of India has brought necessary legal framewotk to ban Single-use platic from the country from 31st March, 2022 onward. Alternative to Single-use plastic, consumer awareness and implementation of the laws; are very important now.

We stand at a pivotal moment
The effects of plastic pollution are rapidly becoming inescapable - deeply ingrained in our triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, pollution and climate change.
The disposable plastics scourge is perhaps one of the most visible signs of our triple planetary crises:

• Single-use Covid-related plastic waste compounding problem - around 89 million medical masks are being disposed of each and every month.

The recent IPCC report has given a code red to humanity according the UN Secretary General.
Plastic begins its life as a fossil fueland greenhouse gases are emitted across the entire plastic lifecycle:

• Global life-cycle greenhouse gasemissions of plastics were 1.7 Gt of CO2-equivalentin 2015 and are expected to grow to 6.5 Gt CO2-equivalent by 2050 under the current trajectory.
  

This is in the wrong direction. Solving the pollution, climate and biodiversity crises must be met with the same rigor and financial commitment as the pandemic. The only way to prevent exceeding the 1.5 degree threshold is by urgently stepping up our efforts and pursuing the most ambitious path.

The science is clear
UNEP is launching, From Pollution to Solution - most comprehensive assessment to date on marine litter and plastic pollution + strongest scientific argumentfor urgent, collective action from source to sea:

• Highlights that plastic accounts for 85 per cent of marine litter.
  
• Warns that by 2040, volumes of plastic pollution flowing into the ocean will triple, adding 23-37 million metric tons of waste into the ocean per year from the current 11 million metric tons.
  
  
  • This means ~50kg of plastic, or 9,000 plastic grocery bags, per meter of coastline worldwide.
    
• Highlights the pervasiveness of plastics and microplastics, from the deepest abyssal environments to the most remote oceanic islands, and the extreme pressure being exerted on the planet and its biodiversity.
• Shows the vulnerability of the human body on multiple fronts to plastic and associated chemicals, some of which could cause hormonal changes, developmental disorders, reproductive abnormalities and cancer.
• By 2040, plastic waste is expected to present an annual financial risk of US$100 billion for businesses that would need to bear the costs of waste management at expected volumes.

We are here because, we know what needs to be done.
It's time to turn the tide on plastic pollution through:

• Challenge that is transboundary in scope - no one country, or stakeholder, canaddress the issue alone:
  
  
  • The solutions and pathways to turn the tide on plastics are at our fingertips- evidence, innovation, technology, and momentum through an engaged public.
    
  • It will take ambitious political leadership and the willto act collaboratively and make sufficient investments to accelerate global action to turn the tide on marine litter and plastic pollution.
    
• We need clear vision and ambitious objectives and measures to achieve the reduction and progressive elimination of direct and indirect discharges of plastics into the environment.
  

Action now:
While momentum is building, towards a global agreement

• Let's move forward together to build back bluer and greener from COVID.
  
• We hear the call to enable transformative global measures across the entire lifecycle of plastics that are cross-sectoral, based on science, connect to existing regional, national and local action, and build on existing agreements.
  
• We hear the call to focus on key hotspots by considering potential impacts (on climate, ecosystems, health, jobs, economy, etc.) across the life cycle of plastics and their alternatives, to identify optimal solutions
  
• We see the vision for along-term perspective,supported by the strengthening of international and regional cooperation and a robust science-policy interface, reinforced by UNEP's new MTS which is designed to help deliver this.
  

Conclusion

• UNEP willcontinue our support and engagement with countries through building the evidence base +promoting evidence-based approaches for sustainable consumption and production while increasing business and consumer awareness and strengthening the science-policy interface.
  
• Let's work towards a pollution-free planet and ensure that global solidarity and the involvement of all stakeholders are guiding principles.
  

I would like to thank Indian Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD), New Delhi - a National Think Tank and Scientific Research Institute; for invitation for UNEP to address the urgent topic of Plastic Pollution on 28th August 2021, in a national program.

We at UNEP, Congratulate IISD for promoting the debate and also for the bold national measures taken so far to address plastic pollution. The effects of our triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, pollution and climate change are rapidly becoming inescapable and complex- because these three crises are deeply ingrained in plastic Pollution. IISD's Popular Campaign in PAN India - Say No to Single Use Plastic - is the Key Drive, center-staging People's Movement, against plastic pollution today.

Ms Letivia Carvalho is the Head of the Marine and Freshwater Branch, at the Ecosystem Division. UNEP HQ, Nairabi, Kenya.

This is an IISD's Invited Guest Blog, under Distinguished Personality Category.