The amount of plastic waste entering aquatic ecosystems could reach 37 million tons per year by 2040

TL DR

The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) is being held in the capital city of Ottawa from April 23 to April 29 to advance the development of the global agreement on plastic pollution by the end of 2024.

“We have seen progress in the first three rounds of negotiations, which have put the text on the table for further crafting,” said Andersen, in an opening speech, “INC-4 must now make meaningful progress on this text and agree on a mandate for intersessional work in the months that follow.”

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Negotiation sessions started on April 23, where countries would continue to work through the possible scope, wording, and mechanisms, including financial tools, to include in the new legally binding treaty on plastic pollution.

Under a business-as-usual scenario and in the absence of necessary interventions, the amount of plastic waste entering aquatic ecosystems could nearly triple from some 9-14 million tonnes per year in 2016 to a projected 23-37 million tons per year by 2040.