Skip to content
Oceanic Society
  • About
    • Blog
    • Contact
    • History
    • Our Team
  • Our Work
    • Blue Habits
    • Plastic Pollution
      • 2022 Global Ocean Cleanup
    • Climate Change
    • Sustainable Travel
    • Sustainable Seafood
    • Sea Turtle Conservation
    • Access to Nature
  • Take A Trip
    • Browse All Trips
    • Snorkeling Trips
    • Wildlife Trips
    • Family Trips
    • Volunteer Trips
    • About Our Trips
  • Whale Watching
    • Farallon Islands Whale Watching
  • Adopt
    • Adopt a Dolphin
    • Adopt a Whale
    • Adopt a Sea Turtle
    • Adopt an Albatross
  • Donate
    • Ways to Give
    • Become a Member of Oceanic Society
    • Shop
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
Oceanic Society
  • About
    • Blog
    • Contact
    • History
    • Our Team
  • Our Work
    • Blue Habits
    • Plastic Pollution
      • 2022 Global Ocean Cleanup
    • Climate Change
    • Sustainable Travel
    • Sustainable Seafood
    • Sea Turtle Conservation
    • Access to Nature
  • Take A Trip
    • Browse All Trips
    • Snorkeling Trips
    • Wildlife Trips
    • Family Trips
    • Volunteer Trips
    • About Our Trips
  • Whale Watching
    • Farallon Islands Whale Watching
  • Adopt
    • Adopt a Dolphin
    • Adopt a Whale
    • Adopt a Sea Turtle
    • Adopt an Albatross
  • Donate
    • Ways to Give
    • Become a Member of Oceanic Society
    • Shop

UN Plastic Pollution Treaty Under Development

Home / Blog / UN Plastic Pollution Treaty Under Development
© Ben J Hicks / benhicks.com

February 28, 2022 • News Announcements

Share This

Update: On Wednesday, March 2, 2022, 175 nations formally agreed to begin writing a UN plastic treaty to fight plastic waste globally. Negotiators will soon begin meeting to develop the details of the plastic treaty, and their goal is to have the legally-binding agreement finalized by 2024.


As representatives from United Nations (UN) member states gather at the Fifth Session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA05) this week, one of the most consequential agenda items will be the discussion of a UN treaty on plastic pollution. The treaty would create the first legally-binding international framework to combat plastic pollution, similar to the Paris Agreement to limit global warming.

The push for the treaty is supported by more than three quarters of UN member states, including the United States, as well as dozens of prominent businesses and financial institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and millions of members of the public. In the United States, recent efforts to pursue solutions to the ocean plastic pollution problem have found bipartisan support, such as the Save our Seas 2.0 Act passed in 2021. Our hope is that the new UN treaty will also earn support across party lines given the strong public interest in solving this critical issue.

The discussion this week at UNEA05 will center around the basic parameters of a treaty, and will seek to chart a path forward toward future ratification. While the signing of a UN plastic treaty may be a year or two away, this week’s discussion is a hopeful step forward that is being treated with a sense of urgency.

The Need for a UN Plastic Treaty

In spite of unprecedented awareness about the plastic pollution problem and growing efforts to reduce plastic pollution globally, the amount of plastic pollution entering the environment continues to grow each day. As stated in the UN’s 2020 baseline report on plastic waste, “The ever-increasing growth in the amount of plastics produced has led to a significant plastic waste generation [problem] that has outpaced society’s ability to manage it effectively,”

UN plastic treaty

A UN plastic treaty would coordinate global efforts to fight plastic pollution and set clear targets.

While the global movement to fight plastic waste has gained tremendous momentum, and continues to grow, it remains a piecemeal approach of rules and regulations and relies on a large number of voluntary commitments by individuals, organizations, and businesses. Plastic pollution is a global, transboundary issue that will require international coordination to solve. A UN plastic treaty would create a comprehensive framework to support, strengthen, and improve existing efforts to fight plastic waste, and would set clear targets to address this critical issue.

Learn More and Get Involved

You can learn more about this important effort from the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, a leading advocate for the treaty, and get involved by joining the more than 2 million people who have signed WWF’s petition in support of the treaty. For more information about this effort, please see the following sources:

  • WWF & Ellen MacArthur Foundation | UN Plastics Treaty
  • Mongabay | As world drowns in plastic waste, U.N. to hammer out global treaty
  • The Business Call for a UN Plastic Treaty
  • The Washington Post | Plastics production is skyrocketing. A new U.N. treaty effort could cap it

Brian Hutchinson

Brian Hutchinson is Oceanic Society’s Vice President of Outreach, co-founder of the State of the World’s Sea Turtles Program, and program officer of the IUCN-SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group. Brian holds a B.A. in zoology from Connecticut College, and has been working to advance global marine conservation for more than fifteen years. Brian is an avid traveler who has visited more than 40 countries and led Oceanic Society expeditions in Costa Rica, Cuba, Baja California, and Trinidad.

Join our community.

Latest Posts

Aerial view of Raja Ampat Indonesia, cover of new travel catalog

Announcing Our Newest Nature Travel Catalog

Read More

Underwater Adventures in Alor – Indonesia’s Hidden Jewel

Read More
Aerial view of Raja Ampat Indonesia, cover of new travel catalog

Our 2022 Year In Review

Read More

Critter Scholars Program Year In Review 2022

Read More

Join our community.

Adventure awaits.

Request a Catalog
Become a Member

© François Baelen / Coral Reef Image Bank

Contact

Oceanic Society
P.O. Box 844
Ross, CA 94957

Whale Watching
1-415-256-9604

Expeditions & General Inquiries
1-800-326-7491

Office Hours

CA Office

Mon-Fri: 8AM–3PM
(PDT/PST)

DC Office

Mon-Fri: 9AM–5PM
(EDT/EST)

Navigate

  • Our Work
  • Take A Trip
  • Whale Watching
  • Adopt
  • Donate
  • Shop
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact

Legal

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Sitemap
footer-logo

© 2023 Oceanic Society. The Oceanic Society is a registered organization. Our Federal Tax ID is 94-3105570.

Website by Yoko Co

Scroll To Top
By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies and similar tracking technologies described in our privacy policy.I Agree