Strengthen the Independent Voice of Science

Photo, taken during the plastic negotiations. Text "Help us to empower the independent voice of science by supporting our involvement in the plastics treaty negotiations" and a donation button

Strengthen the Independent Voice of Science

Support our participation in the global plastics negotiations!

News
Date: 22 April 2024
Location: Berlin, Germany

Strengthen the independent voice of science!

As an UN-accredited organisation, Ecologic Institute has so far been involved in the negotiations on the global plastics agreement. But our continued participation is jeopardised: There is a lack of funding for the last of the previously planned negotiation rounds in Busan (South Korea) in November 2024. Donate now to help strengthen the independent voice of science!

Donate now!

The conferences in Paris and Nairobi have shown that the independent voice of science is important because the issue is complex and many actors are lobbying for their own interests. We are taking part in the current round of negotiations in Ottawa and we are realising once again that our presence on the ground is extremely important. During our participation so far, we have also observed that many countries are sending delegates who are not adequately prepared for the complex negotiations.

We want to change this with your support!

What we use your donation for, for example:

For 50 euros, we will have a high-quality scientific infographic printed on site and distribute it to the delegates ourselves.
For 250 euros, we pay the graphic designer's costs for one of these sophisticated materials.
For 500 euros, we can organise a complete webinar to prepare for the next round of negotiations with experts on the respective negotiations.

We still need a total of 15,000 euros to take part in Busan.

But every donation helps: if everyone who receives this newsletter donates 10 euros, our participation will be secured within a very short time. Thank you very much for your support!

Donation account:
Ecologic Institute
IBAN: DE17 3702 0500 0003 2208 08
BIC: BFSW DE 33XXX
Donation keyword: Plastic

Help us empowering the independent voice of science by supporting our involvement in the plastics treaty negotiations.

Contact

Doris Knoblauch

Co-Coordinator Plastics

Coordinator Urban & Spatial Governance

Senior Fellow

Towards an Effective Science-Policy Interface for a Global Plastics Treaty

Year 2024

Publication:Policy Brief

Amidst intense global efforts to tackle plastic pollution, the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty highlights the critical role of reducing primary plastic polymers. The Scientists' Coalition, consisting of leading scientists worldwide, argues in its latest policy brief that without a significant reduction in the production of these polymers, the effective fight against plastic pollution is not possible. The urgent call aims to draw attention to the need to break the plastic cycle at its source - the production of primary plastic polymers. This approach is crucial as it directly reduces the amount of plastics that end up in our environment.

Primary Plastic Polymers: Urgently needed upstream reduction

Year 2024

Presentation:Speech

On 13 March 2024, Doris Knoblauch (Ecologic Institute) gave a lecture on "Plastics and the Environment" highlighting the need for a global plastics treaty at a postgraduate course, where 21 experts from ministries, authorities, municipalities, non-governmental organizations and industry from low-income countries and emerging economies were represented and exchanged. The focus was on why plastic pollution is a problem and why we urgently need an international, legally binding plastics treaty.

Plastics & the Environment – Why We Need a Plastics Treaty

13 March 2024
Doris Knoblauch

News

Doris Knoblauch was an observer at the negotiations in Nairobi during the week and, as part of the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty (Scientist's Coalition for short), provided various negotiating delegations with scientific information. The Scientist's Coalition is an independent network of scientists around the world who conduct research on plastics, chemicals, and health, covering various disciplines and aspects. A team was on site to answer open questions quickly, scientifically and independently.

UN Negotiations on a Potential Plastics Agreement were Stuck in Nairobi

A long way to go

13 - 19 November 2023

Publication:Article

Plastics Treaty Text Must Center Ecosystems

Letter in Science

Year 2023

Publication:Article

This article illustrates the communication strategies that were successfully applied in the citizen science program Plastic Pirates in Germany. The program engages schoolchildren, teachers and youth groups in plastic pollution research. A variety of communication strategies have been implemented and continuously revised and adapted since the start of the program in 2016.

Sharing Communication Insights of the Citizen Science Program Plastic Pirates

Best practices from 7 years of engaging schoolchildren and teachers in plastic pollution research

Year 2023

News

After the euphoria had been dampened at the beginning of the negotiation week in Paris, there was a good result in the end: The Chair H.E. Mr. Gustavo Adolfo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez and the INC Secretariat were given a mandate to present a first draft ("zero draft") in the run-up to the next negotiations. This is an important next step. Doris Knoblauch accompanied the INC-2 negotiations in Paris for Ecologic Institute.

Why the Negotiations on the UN Plastics Agreement in Paris were a Success

An important step

29 May - 2 June 2023

Publication:Book

For many people, plastic bottles have become an indispensable part of everyday life. However, the production and throwing away of plastic bottles is harmful to the environment and the climate. Ideally, PET bottles are recycled and reused. But what happens to the bottles during the recycling process? "Die Geisterstunde" by Christian Tielmann is the third PIXI book produced as part of the BMBF research focus "Plastics in the Environment" with Stiftung Lesen and Carlsen Verlag and is dedicated to the recycling of plastic bottles.

Die Geisterstunde

Year 2023

Publication:Book

Plastics shape our modern life like hardly any other material. They are flexible, light, and versatile. At the same time, they also represent one of the greatest ecological challenges of our time. To make this topic clear and understandable for children and to convey the relevant knowledge, Ecologic Institute and Stiftung Lesen, together with Carlsen Verlag, have developed this special edition of Lesemaus.

Alte Flaschen, neue Flaschen!

A Lesemaus on the subject of recycling

Year 2023

Partner: Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty, International
Team: Doris Knoblauch

Linda Mederake
Duration: 22 April 2024
Project: Scientific Coordination of Research Projects on "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" (PlastikNet)
Project ID: 2295
Keywords: International Development

Plastics

Public Diplomacy

Further Links

PublicationPolicy BriefPrimary Plastic Polymers: Urgently needed upstream reduction

As the international community seeks to negotiate a global plastics agreement, the stakes are high. An internationally binding instrument is to be developed that will end plastic pollution by covering the entire life cycle of plastics from production to disposal. With... Read more

Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty (2024). Primary Plastic Polymers: urgently needed Upstream Reduction. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10906376

PublicationPolicy BriefTowards an Effective Science-Policy Interface for a Global Plastics Treaty

Document page titled 'Towards an Effective Science-Policy Interface for the Global Plastics Treaty'. The page discusses the complexity of plastic pollution and the necessity for a dedicated Science Policy Interface (SPI) to complement and inform the Global Plastics Treaty, stressing the importance of independent scientific input and a focus on interventions across the entire life cycle of plastics.

In the context of the negotiations of a Global Plastics Treaty, the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty emphasizes in this policy brief the crucial importance of an effective Science-Policy Interface (SPI) for the successful implementation of the... Read more

Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty (2024). Policy Brief: Towards an Effective Science-Policy Interface for the Global Plastics Treaty. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10996298

PublicationArticlePlastics Treaty Text Must Center Ecosystems

In this letter in Science, a group of scientists working on biodiversity and plastics – among them Doris Knoblauch from Ecologic Institute – argue that the future plastics treaty text must center ecosystems. This is because both, ecosystems and biodiversity have not... Read more

Tessnow-von Wysocki, Ina; Wang, Mengjiao; Morales-Caselles, Carmen; Woodall, Lucy C.; Syberg, Kristian; Carney Almroth, Bethanie; Fernandez, Marina; Monclús, Laura; P. Wilson, Scott; Warren, Matt; Knoblauch, Doris; Helm, Rebecca R. (2023): Plastics treaty text must center ecosystems, Science, 2 Nov 2023, Vol 382, Issue 6670, pp. 525-526.

PublicationArticleWhat Potential Does the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive Have for Reducing Plastic Pollution at Coastlines and Riversides?

Hinzmann Mederake EU single use plastics directive article

To address plastic pollution, the European Union adopted the so called "Single-Use Plastics Directive" (SUPD), which bans several single-use plastic products and introduces measures such as extended producer responsibility and obligatory requirements for product... Read more

Kiessling, Tim et al. 2023: What potential does the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive have for reducing plastic pollution at coastlines and riversides? An evaluation based on citizen science data. Waste Management 164 (2023).106-118.

PublicationPolicy BriefTowards an International Agreement on Plastic Pollution: The Role of the G20

Cover of the T20 policy brief "towards an international agreement on plastic pollution: the role of the G20

This policy brief investigates the gaps in the existing international treaties on marine plastic pollution and proposes components that need to be considered in a new treaty. These proposals will complement the G20 work on plastic pollution. Furthermore, since the G20... Read more

Kojima, Michikazu et al. 2021: Towards an International Agreement on Plastic Pollution: The Role of the G20. T20 Policy Brief. Task Force 3 Governing Climate Targets, Energy Transition, and Environmental Protection.

PublicationReportGlobal Rules in a New Global Treaty: Asia's opportunity to end single-use plastic pollution

Report Cover "Global Rules in a New Global Treaty"

In March 2022, at the resumed fifth meeting of the United Nations Environment Assembly, UN Member States adopted the historic decision to start negotiating a global treaty to combat plastic pollution. As national delegations and relevant stakeholders in Asia start... Read more

Mederake, Linda; Knoblauch, Doris (2022): Global rules in a new global treaty: Asia's opportunity to end single-use plastic pollution. Published in July 2022 by WWF Philippines.

PublicationArticleVerhandlungen zu einem globalen Plastikabkommen – Zeit Verantwortung zu übernehmen

Preparations are currently underway for negotiations on a global plastics treaty. The treaty is intended to respond to the increasing plastic pollution, especially of the oceans, which requires international cooperation along the value chain and thus binding rules at... Read more

Stockhaus, Heidi 2022: Verhandlungen zu einem globalen Plastikabkommen – Zeit Verantwortung zu übernehmen. Zeitschrift für Umweltrecht (ZUR), 2022, No. 7-8, 385-386.

PublicationBrochureCompendium Plastics in the Environment

Cover "Compendium on Plastics in the Environment

This compendium, published by Ecologic Institute, aims to sharpen relevant terms and thereby aims to contribute to the heterogeneity of the scientific community on "plastics in the environment". In addition, the brochure is intended to help ensure that communication... Read more

J. Bertling*, C. G. Bannick, L. Barkmann, U. Braun, D. Knoblauch, C. Kraas, L. Mederake, F. Nosić, B. Philipp, M. Rabe, I. Sartorius, H. Schritt, U. Stein, K. Wencki, K. Wendt-Potthoff, J. Woidasky (2022): Compendium on Plastics in the Environment, 1st edition 2022. https://doi.org/10.24406/umsicht-n-647637

*Corresponding author

PublicationPosterPlastik-Mythen

Plastic waste is a global environmental problem, the consequences of our increasing plastic use are visible worldwide. Therefore, water pollution (oceans, rivers, lakes, groundwater) and plastics in the environment are among the top environmental issues of concern to... Read more

Ecologic Institute (2022): Plastik-Mythen. Die 20 populärsten Plastik-Mythen im Faktencheck. PlastikNet-poster series. Ecologic Institute: Berlin.

PublicationReportA Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution

Report cover with image of fish, title, and logos of participating institutions

This research report studies the Asian perspectives on a global plastic pollution treaty against the background of a growing momentum for the establishment of a negotiation process during the second part of the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) in... Read more

Stockhaus, H; Sachdeva, A; Sina, S; Bolopion, E; Mislang, G; Espenilla, J; Guiao, C.T.; Sulistiawati, L.Y.; Popattanachai, N. 2021. A New Treaty on Plastic Pollution – Perspectives from Asia. Published in October 2021 by WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature (Singapore) Limited (WWF-Singapore).

PublicationBookUnpacked! Plastic, Waste & Me

Layout: Gesine Grotrian

Plastic is of great benefit. But plastic is also a huge problem. Its production requires huge amounts of fossil raw materials, its consumption promotes a throwaway mentality, many beaches and areas are now drowning in plastic waste, and it accumulates in the stomachs of... Read more

Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung (2021): Unpacked! Plastic, Waste & Me. Berlin.

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