Plastic pollution has emerged as a global crisis, threatening ecosystems, human health, and the planet's overall well-being. Plastics are omnipresent in national markets and in international trade. Global exports of plastics or goods made from plastic have reached nearly $1.2 trillion in value and 369 million tonnes in 2021 and continues to grow. Trade, financial and investment measures can contribute to the reduction, reuse, substitution, recycling and better management of end-of-life waste.
This side-event, will feature representatives from countries and organizations working on trade-related aspects of the plastics challenge, including trade measures and material substitution, shedding light on different facets of trade measures in relation to plastic pollution.
In specific, representatives from the World Trade Organization will provide an update on the current state of the WTO Dialogue on Plastic Pollution and outline the Dialogue’s plans for concrete and effective outcomes at the upcoming 13th WTO Ministerial Conference in February 2024, including the WTO Members efforts to address plastic pollution through trade-related mechanisms and measures. UNCTAD will add to those by presenting trade-related notifications on non-plastic substitutes and illustrative cases on non-plastic substitutes. A presentation on trade measures and multilateral processes from the perspective of the Caribbean countries will also be made, through the representative of Barbados.
The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) will delve into the intersection of specific trade provisions in relation to the Zero Draft, exploring the reduction of plastics trade through the full lifecycle of plastics and its legal and policy implications vis-a-vis current trade rules. Lastly, the Ocean Recovery Alliance will discuss ideas for a trusted, cross-border high-quality secondary plastic feedstock trade by enhancing and standardizing the Basel Convention plastic waste amendments.
The event, moderated by the Forum on Trade, Environment and the SDGs (TESS), will be a platform for participants to gain a deeper understanding, with the Zero Draft in mind.
