Activity: Talks and presentations › Talk or oral contribution › Other
The topic of plastic pollution has received considerable global attention and as a consequence, was the focus of a recent UNEA 5.2 resolution entitled ‘End Plastic Pollution: Towards an internationally legally binding instrument.’ Most of the evidence around plastic pollution originates from the marine environment, yet most of the causes and hence the interventions to reduce plastic pollution, are grounded in supply chains and actions that lie on land. Do we have sufficient evidence to inform the recent UNEA resolution and if not, where are the evidence gaps? More broadly, are there lessons that can be learned from our current understanding of plastic pollution and our progress towards interventions that can help guide the way toward prioritisation of actions in relation to other environmental contaminants? This online discussion, question and answer session with experts from industry, policy and academia helped to identify the critical science and innovation needed to tackle this global environmental challenge. This panel debate featured short presentations from a diverse multinational panel (academia, policy, industry and innovation, finance, legal frameworks) followed by a Q&A session from the audience of conference delegates. Some of the key questions addressed: Do we need more evidence on the problem at sea or more on the trade-offs between solutions on land? What are the differences in applicability of solutions between nations? What is the relative importance of interventions at the design stage vs waste management to achieve circularity? What types of legal framework are needed to achieve success? What are the necessary national/international standards and enforcement? In short, what are the priorities for evidence to inform intervention in the context of UNEA 5.2? More broadly with regard to other forms of marine pollution, how best to link environmental evidence of impacts to effective solutions, in a timely manner?