The United States And European Commission Join The Clean Oceans Campaign

The United States and the European Commission have formally joined the Clean Oceans movement. They acknowledge the need to curb Marine litter and plastic pollution from entering lakes, rivers and oceans and have stepped up their involvement in a campaign to "turn the world's plastic tide".

According to UNEP's Clean Seas Campaign, launched in 2017, 80% of plastic in the oceans comes from land. The campaign estimates that at least 11 million tons of plastic are thrown into the oceans every year, a figure that will triple by 2040 without immediate and massive action.

The Clean Oceans campaign aims to end Marine litter and plastic pollution throughout the life cycle of plastic from its source to the ocean.

In addition to the United States and the European Commission, other newcomers include Cape Verde, Portugal, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. The total number of signatories is 69.

The commitments made by these countries now cover more than 76 per cent of the world's coastline. More countries are expected to make pledges at this year's UN Ocean Conference, and so far there have been more than a million individual action pledges in the Clean Oceans campaign.

The Clean Oceans Campaign is expanding its scope and entering a new strategic phase. Governments on Marine garbage and plastic pollution after four consecutive through resolution to the UN environment programme, in March 5.2 the United Nations environment programme conference in Nairobi provides a chance to establish the intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC), to fill the gaps in existing documents, and through the plastic products from source to sea the cycle of the whole life cycle of the solution, Tackling plastic pollution, including plastic waste in the ocean. The goal should be systemic change that applies solutions throughout the plastics value chain and rethinks the way plastics are produced, used and disposed of, leading not only to a greener planet but also to new jobs.

The Clean Oceans Campaign will support the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process, which aims to forge a legally binding agreement and work with governments and the private sector to take concerted action to end plastic pollution ahead of the SIXTH United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6).

"We are pleased to welcome the United States and the European Commission as new members of clean Oceans. Their leadership and commitment to the values and mission of a clean ocean will play an important role in the INTERGOVERNMENTAL Negotiating Committee process and the development of a globally binding treaty to end plastic pollution." Susan Gardner, director of the Ecosystem Division of the United Nations Environment Programme.

In the run-up to joining the Clean Seas movement, the United States has made significant progress in its actions to reduce plastic pollution, and the European Commission has adopted a stricter single-use plastic ban.

Eu Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius said: "The EU and its member States have played an active role in making the Global Agreement on Plastics a success. This week's UN Oceans conference and next year's UN 2023 Water Conference are key occasions to deliver results that will make a difference on the ground."