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From Pollution to Solution: A global assessment of marine litter and plastic pollution

October 21, 2021

This assessment describes the far-reaching impacts of plastics in our oceans and across the planet. Plastics are a marker of the current geological era, the Anthropocene (Zalasiewicz et al. 2016). They have given their name to a new microbial habitat known as the plastisphere (Amaral-Zettler et al. 2020; see Glossary). Increased awareness of the negative impacts of microplastics on marine ecosystems and human health has led them to be referred to as a type of "Ocean PM2.5" akin to air pollution (i.e. particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometres [μm] in diameter) (Shu 2018). With cumulative global production of primary plastic between 1950 and 2017 estimated at 9,200 million metric tons and forecast to reach 34 billion metric tons by 2050 (Geyer 2020) (Figure i), the most urgent issues now to be addressed are how to reduce the volume of uncontrolled or mismanaged waste streams going into the oceans (Andrades et al. 2018) and how to increase the level of recycling. Of the 7 billion tons of plastic waste generated globally so far, less than 10 per cent has been recycled (Geyer 2020).

Analysis of Voluntary Commitments Targeting Marine Litter and Microplastics Pursuant to Resolution 3/7

December 12, 2018

The present report is being submitted pursuant to paragraph 9 of resolution 3/71 of the United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in which the Environment Assembly requested the Executive Director of UNEP to compile voluntary commitments, as applicable, targeting marine litter and microplastics; to provide an overview of their scope in support of the work of the Environment Assembly on that issue; to better understand progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal target 14.1 on preventing andsignificantly reducing marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution, by 2025 (see General Assembly resolution 71/313); and to report to the Environment Assembly at its fourth session on the matter.The report contains an analysis of the voluntary commitments made in the context of the United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14, the Our Ocean Conference, the United Nations Sustainable Development Platform, the Clean Seas campaign and the Environment Assembly portal for voluntary reporting relating to marine litter.

Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics: A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

December 6, 2018

This report provides a global overview on the progress of countries in passing laws and regulations that limit the manufacture, import, sale, use and disposal of selected single-use plastics and microplastics which have a great impact in the production of marine litter.

The Coral Reef Economy

October 1, 2018

This study highlights the economic business case for the private and public sector to invest in the protection, preservation and enhancement of coral reef health. Initiated by the Prince of Wales's International Sustainability Unit (ISU) and United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) and implemented in collaboration with Trucost and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), the analysis maps the value, costs and benefits and financial flows of the coral reef dependent economy. An advisory committee composed of experts representing multilateral development agencies, funds, civil society organizations and finance and insurance companies guided the analysis.

Pacific Marine Climate Change Report Card 2018

June 8, 2018

The report card, which is accompanied by 13 detailed supporting reviews, summarises current scientific understanding of climate change impacts on the region's marine environment. The document is intended to help Pacific Islanders and decision-makers to understand and respond to the likely impacts of marine climate change. The accessible report card format highlights what action is already being taken in the region and what further responses are needed. The reviews provide further information on each of the topics.

Single-Use Plastics: A Roadmap for Sustainability

June 1, 2018

The benefits of plastic are undeniable. The material is cheap, lightweight and easy to make. These qualities have led to a boom in the production of plastic over the past century. This trend will continue as global plastic production skyrockets over the next 10 to 15 years. We are already unable to cope with the amount of plastic waste we generate, unless we rethink the way we manufacture, use and manage plastics. Ultimately, tackling one of the biggest environmental scourges of our time will require governments to regulate, businesses to innovate and individuals to act. This paper sets out the latest thinking on how we can achieve this. It looks at what governments, businesses and individuals have achieved at national and sub-national levels to curb the consumption of single-use plastics. It offers lessons that may be useful for policymakers who are considering regulating the production and use of single-use plastics.

Global Environment Outlook: GEO-6 Regional Assessment for Africa

May 20, 2016

The Africa regional assessment is guided by the Drivers-Pressure-State-Impact-Response analytical framework toprovide a better understanding of the current state of the region's environment, and explore a number of scenarios that provide an insight of what the future may portend under each of them.The assessment is structured in three main chapters as follows:Chapter 1 sets out the regional context.Chapter 2 establishes the state of the environment in the region clustered under four key themes (air, land, water and biodiversity), and analyses key state and trends for various environmental issues affecting Africa, while also describing the policy response. The chapter also discusses policy effectiveness, with a particular focus on the conditions that enable the success of some policy actions.Chapter 3 covers the outlook, with a focus on a set of four possible future scenarios for Africa, and suggests possible policy options necessary to achieve a more sustainable future.

Global Environment Outlook: GEO-6 Regional Assessment for Asia and the Pacific

May 19, 2016

Welcome to the GEO-6 regional assessment for Asia and the Pacific, through which the UNEP Secretariat and authors provide an objective evaluation and analysis of the state, trends and outlooks of the environment in the region in order to support environmental decision making. In this assessment, the judgement of experts is applied to existing knowledge to provide scientifically credible answers to policy-relevant questions. These questions include, but are not limited to:What is happening to the environment in Asia and thePacific and why?What are the consequences for the environment and thehuman population of Asia and the Pacific?What is being done and how effective is it?What are the prospects for the environment in the future?What action could be taken to achieve a more sustainable future?

Global Environment Outlook: GEO-6 Regional Assessment for North America

May 19, 2016

Welcome to the North America regional assessment. This assessment provides an objective evaluation and analysis designed to support environmental decision-making. Existing knowledge has been assessed to provide scientifically credible answers to policy-relevant questions including:* What is happening to the environment in North America and why?* What are the consequences for the environment and the human population of North America?* What is being done and how effective is it?* What are the prospects for the environment in the future?* What actions could be taken to achieve a more sustainable future?

Global Environment Outlook: GEO-6 Regional Assessment for West Asia

May 19, 2016

Welcome to the GEO-6 Regional Assesment for West Asia. This assessment provides an evaluation and analysis of regional issues designed to support environmental decision making. Existing knowledge has been assesed to provide scientifically credible answers to policy-relevant questions, including:* What is happening to the West Asia environment and why?* What are the consequences for the environment and the human population of West Asia?* What is being done and how effective is it?* What are the prospects for the environment?* What actions could be taken to achieve a more sustainable future?

Global Environment Outlook: GEO-6 Regional Assessment for Latin American and the Caribbean

May 19, 2016

Welcome to the GEO-6 Regional Assessment for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This assessment provides an objective evaluation and analysis designed to support environmental decision making. Existing knowledge has been assessed to provide scientifically credible answers to policy-relevant questions (UNEP 2015). These questions include, but are not limited to:* What is happening to the environment in Latin America and the Caribbean and why?* What are the consequences for the environment and the human population of Latin America and the Caribbean?* What is being done and how effective is it?* What are the prospects for the environment in the future?* What actions could be taken to achieve a more sustainable future?

Using Product-Service Systems to Enhance Public Procurement

May 1, 2015

Sustainable or green public procurement is a growing trend that is beginning to lead vast supply chains towards implementing more sustainable practices and achieving environmental, social and economic objectives. The use of product-service systems (PSS) by public entities can also result in sustainability benefits. PSS are an innovative business approach that shifts the traditional business focus from selling physical products only (e.g. a washing machine) to selling a mix of products and services (e.g. cleaning services) that are jointly capable of meeting specific client demand (clean clothes). The key idea behind PSS is that consumers do not demand products per se, but are seeking the utility provided by products and services. One value-added of PSS lies in their potential to decouple consumption from economic growth, as they offer the possibility of meeting more needs with lower material and energy requirements.This technical report, Using Product-Service Systems to Enhance Public Procurement, examines the nexus between product-service systems and sustainable public procurement, drawing together international experience. The aim of this report is, in particular, to demonstrate how product-service systems can be used by governments in the context of sustainable public procurement (SPP) policies and initiatives, thus contributing to a more resource-efficient, lowcarbon and inclusive green economy. Some examples of the use of product-service systems by government organizations are given in the case studies in Annex I. The 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10YFP) is a global framework that enhances international cooperation to accelerate the shift towards sustainable consumption and production (SCP) in both developed and developing countries. One of the key objectives of the 10YFP is to encourage innovation and cooperation among all countries and stakeholders. This technical report is a direct outcome of activities that were part of the 10YFP Sustainable Public Procurement Programme – the first formal programme launched under this new framework of international cooperation. The report was developed by partners in the Sustainable Public Procurement Programme of the 10YFP, in Working Group 3A on "product-service systems and their insertion in sustainable public procurement".This technical report is intended to assist governments in evaluating the potential of productservice systems to act as a driver in achieving their sustainability goals. The authors believe the report provides a basis for more research to determine the effectiveness of various PSS schemes and related products in regard to sustainable public procurement.