In March 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) adopted resolution 5/14, mandating the development of an international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution covering the full lifecycle of plastics. This landmark resolution presents a rare opportunity to address the interconnected crisis of climate change, human health, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Read here a quick briefing on what this opportunity represents for climate.
To leverage this moment, the Plastic Solutions Fund has helped establish the Global Plastics Treaty Collective, an inclusive, cross-movement coalition of civil society organizations and networks championing an ambitious Treaty. Active in over 100 countries globally, the Collective coordinates unprecedented collaboration among hundreds of civil society organizations.
The Collective is working to rapidly mobilize philanthropic support for civil society organizations globally. It is coordinated by an advisory committee of representatives from organizations and global networks that can holistically address the complexities of establishing a regulatory framework that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics. To learn more about this effort, please contact Jessica Brittsan at jessicabrittsan@plasticsolution.org. Current members include:
INC 5.2: Continuing the Momentum for an Ambitious Plastics Treaty
(03/Mar/2025) The United Nations just announced that the next meeting to negotiate the Global Plastics Treaty will take place in Geneva on August 5-14. The PSF and our allies look forward to continuing to build the momentum for a meaningful agreement that includes strong protections for human health and the environment, including controls on toxic chemicals, commitments to reduce production, and ensuring a just transition for the workforce engaged in the plastics sector.
2025 can be a breakthrough year for turning off the tap of plastic pollution
(21/Feb/2025) For years, the plastic pollution conversation revolved around waste management, with the plastics industry peddling the false story that we can recycle and clean up our way out of the deluge of plastic pouring into our rivers and seas and toxifying our bodies. Events of 2024 showed that has changed for good, and we are ready for 2025 to be our biggest year.
Read every Plastics Treaty update here
The Global Plastics Treaty (GPT) is a key opportunity for climate, health, ocean and biodiversity funders to address a growing crisis that is fuelled by single use plastics, which has negative impacts at every step of its lifecycle. According to the U.N. Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Anderson, this is “the most important international multilateral environmental deal since the Paris Climate Accord.”
(1) has a clear, ambitious and time bound target for capping and reducing virgin plastic production
(2) bans an agreed set of toxic chemicals from all virgin and recycled plastics
(3) mandates global controls on trade of plastic waste, chemicals, and feedstocks.
(4) contains targets for reuse and refill sufficient to provide the certainty industry requires to invest in the reuse economy
(5) includes a blueprint to a just transition for workers and communities currently dependent on the plastics value chain.