Tha Rhymer Art
A landmark resolution was reached at the fifth United Nations Environmental Assembly in March 2022 to develop an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution (the ‘global plastics treaty’). The UN countries began two years of negotiations on its goals and objectives to produce the final draft of the treaty.
The journey includes five Intergovernmental Negotiating Committees (INCs) – forums where national delegates debate the content of the treaty; and where industry representatives, NGO’s campaign groups and scientists meet to exchange knowledge and information.
The final round of Global Plastic Treaty negotiations will take place at INC 5 later this month.
By the end of 2024 the world can expect to see how the Treaty will transform the way we produce, use and dispose of plastics.
The University of Portsmouth’s Revolution Plastics Institute is one of 18 Universities from around the world who has been accredited with UNEP, and one of only 5 in the UK.
The Revolution Plastics’ Global Plastics Policy Centre team has worked closely with negotiators and governments to provide evidence-based research to help guide the Treaty process over the last two years.
The team has been attended every INC meeting and has a detailed knowledge of the Treaty challenges and progress.
Revolution Plastics works regularly with DEFRA, UNEP, World Bank, World Economic Forum, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and Break Free From Plastic.
Professor Steve Fletcher who is Director of the Revolution Plastics Institute is one of the top five most-cited researchers in the blue economy field. He has more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and research reports, including for the UN, World Bank, and G20, as well as governments and international NGOs. He is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the new interdisciplinary journal Cambridge Prisms: Plastics, which curates high-quality research to underpin the transition to a sustainable plastics future.
Dr Antaya March, research lead of the Global Plastics Policy Centre designed the world’s first harmonised plastics policy evaluation tool and consults regularly for a number of international agencies and governments on plastics policy and issues around resource management. She feeds in directly to the Treaty negotiations process.