Vancouver — The Governments of Rwanda and Norway have jointly launched a High Ambition Coalition to end plastic pollution. Launched Monday, the coalition was initiated following the historic UNEA 5.2 resolution passed in March 2022 to start negotiations of an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. Canada, Peru, Germany, Senegal, Georgia, Republic of Korea, UK, Switzerland, Portugal, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Costa Rica, Iceland, Ecuador and France are among the first countries to join.
In response to these developments, Greenpeace Canada’s head of oceans & plastics, Sarah King, said:
“We need high-level global collaboration for the massive global plastic pollution crisis we all face and the High Ambition Coalition has an opportunity to help us break free from plastic once and for all. High ambition must be defined as a global cap and phasedown of plastic production, an end to single-use plastics, and other key measures that accelerate our necessary transition to a reuse- and refill-centred economy. Anything less won’t meaningfully curb plastic pollution, let alone end it by 2040.
The world’s plastic production is projected to double and plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040, hastening the need for a strong, legally-binding Treaty that stops the problem at the source and ends the throwaway plastic era.
As one of the first countries to join the coalition, Canada is once again signalling its intent to act on plastic, but history has shown that actions don’t mirror commitments. To show up to treaty negotiations with high ambition, the federal government must start by raising the bar at home, by cutting overall plastic production, expanding the plastic ban list and creating a nationwide reuse system strategy.”
ENDS
Contact:
Brandon Wei, Communications officer, Greenpeace Canada
[email protected], +1 778 772-6138
Angelica Carballo Pago, Greenpeace USA Plastics Global Media Lead, +639498891332, [email protected]