In a joint report, The Business Case for a UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution, WWF, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Boston Consulting Group, set out the opportunity for a new global UN treaty on plastic pollution.
To significantly accelerate progress towards a circular economy for plastic, there is an urgent need to amplify current efforts, through a more coordinated and ambitious approach. The Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment and Plastics Pact network, are working examples of where this collaboration is currently taking place.
A common structure would set a clear direction and conditions, giving governments and businesses the impetus to move forward more decisively.
A global agreement setting out global goals and binding targets, together with national action plans and consistent measurement, is needed to:
- harmonise policy efforts
- enhance investment planning
- stimulate innovation
- coordinate infrastructure development.
While voluntary initiatives can deliver change among market leaders, an international binding approach will deliver the necessary industry scale change.