UN approves the first international agreement against plastic

  • 175 countries commit to drawing up plans to reduce the impact of plastic throughout its life cycle

  • It is the most important global commitment since the Paris Agreement“, argues Inger Andersen

“Today is one of those days that will go down in the history books”exclaimed exultantly the executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Inger Andersen, after the approval of a “landmark resolution” to end plastic pollution. This Wednesday, the General Assembly of the United Nations announced the first legally binding international agreement to put an end to an industry that has multiplied its waste in recent decades, that is now generating 400 million tons of garbage per year and that, if it continues like this, will double its impact by 2040.

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The resolution has been endorsed by heads of state, environment ministers and other government representatives from 175 countries. “It is the most important global commitment since the Paris Agreement“Andersen argued after the approval of this historic pact. The launch of this project will launch an intergovernmental (and legally binding) committee to draw up a specific plan to reduce the impact of plastic throughout its life cycle. That is to say, “that it extends from design to production, circularity and the reduction, management and prevention of waste”. This The roadmap will begin to be drawn up from the month of June and, if all goes according to plan, it should be ready by 2024 at the latest.

According to its promoters, this global commitment could cut in half the manufacture of virgin plastics, avoid 80% of the plastic waste that is dumped into the oceans and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2040.

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