GLOBAL PLASTIC TREATY

In November, formal negotiations will start on a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution. Although there appears to be little disagreement about the pervasiveness of plastic pollution, how to resolve this will prove problematic. Click here to learn more about the policy negotiations and who carries responsibility for the present plastic pollution problem. To help readers examine different policy scenarios, in 2021 we developed a dashboard which allows users to input their own assumptions. In this version we have added population change as a variable, with users able to adjust population growth and observe the effect on plastic consumption paths. We have also added a third tab where the preferred countries for comparison can be selected. How to use the Plastic Treaty dashboard The Plastic Treaty dashboard is split into three interactive tabs:

• The first lets the user explore per capita plastic consumption and population growth across developed and developing markets under a business as usual (BAU) scenario and when policies are implemented to reduce plastic consumption.
• The second tab displays the same information for the two largest economies in the world – the US and China – which shows how plastic consumption could increase in both countries even when plastic reduction policies are enforced from 2025.
• The third tab displays the same information but allows the user to select the two countries preferred for comparison.