The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) – as the institutional representative of more than 45 million companies in over 100 countries – welcomes the landmark decision at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA5.2) to develop a legally binding instrument (LBI) to end plastic pollution. We fully commend the UNEA 5.2 President, the Executive Director of UNEP and Member States for their determination and willingness to address this pressing environmental challenge. ICC further welcomes the recognition of the essential role of business in the process to develop such an instrument. We are deeply committed to support efforts to secure an ambitious, workable and effective agreement by 2024. In this context, ICC recognises and supports the need for urgent and ambitious action by all stakeholders to address rapidly increasing levels of plastic pollution globally.
The business community has a critical role to play in providing the solutions that will be needed to address the challenge of plastic pollution at the required scale and speed. A coordinated, concerted and holistic approach will be required with respect to design, use, reuse, and recycling of plastics. So too will the need to take into full account the interlinkages between climate, biodiversity and trade, in moving from a linear to a circular economy.
To enable and encourage businesses to fully play their role, the LBI on plastics pollution should:
· Provide a global, common vision and harmonised standards, definitions and rules
· Align all stakeholders
· Establish a common policy framework for a coordinated international approach, with clear targets and goals to be translated into national and sectoral action pathways.
· Support a global transition to a circular economy
· Consider economy-wide approaches
· Ensure effective means of implementation – with regards to financial resources, technology development and transfer, capacity‐building.
· Establish capacity building mechanisms,
For more information:
