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ISC experts drive science-based solutions for plastic pollution treaty
The ISC is actively engaged in the sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC), providing Member States with comprehensive insights from both the natural and social sciences. In this statement, the experts from the ISC expert group on plastic pollution reiterate the key scientific foundations for a successful, science-based treaty following the adjournment in Busan.
The International Science Council (ISC), representing over 250 national science academies, international disciplinary unions and regional scientific organizations, commends the substantial efforts of the members of the INC toward finalizing an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution including in the marine environment. As an accredited observer, the ISC has actively participated in each negotiating session, carefully considering and addressing the concerns and questions of delegations.
Throughout this process, the ISC has contributed specific inputs including on the existing scientific evidence to ensure evidence-based decision-making, provided recommendations to strengthen the alignment between decision-making and scientific advice, particularly through creation of a robust science-policy interface, as well as insights on the science needed for implementation.
Our contributions reflect the urgent need, as highlighted in UNEA Resolution 5/14, to enhance the science-policy interface at all levels to address the plastic pollution crisis. At this pivotal moment, we are encouraged by the acknowledgment of science, traditional knowledge, Indigenous knowledge, and local knowledge systems as critical inputs for developing and implementing the agreement.
In this spirit, we present key scientific foundations and pathways for integrating the best available independent science into the treaty development process and implementation:
Agreeing on a comprehensive scope and objectives to end plastic pollution across the full life cycle of plastics – from extraction and production to use and disposal – will be key for achieving an effective instrument to end plastic pollution and its harmful impacts on humans and the environment. Mid- and downstream actions alone cannot resolve this crisis; urgent upstream interventions are critical to reducing plastic pollution at its source. Such an approach will mitigate the harmful impacts, reduce inequities across countries, and ease the disproportionate burden on vulnerable communities and nations.
The development of the instrument, including its objectives and principles, should be guided by the One Health approach and related principles, which emphasize the interconnection between human health, animal health, and the environment. Additionally, it should safeguard human rights, particularly the right to health, the increasingly recognized right to a healthy environment, and the rights of children and Indigenous communities worldwide.
Effective measures need to address the sources and drivers of plastic pollution, including reducing and regulating primary production and problematic plastic products. This includes phasing out polymers and chemicals of concern, as well as avoidable and problematic plastics such as single-use items and intentionally added microplastics. Scientific syntheses studies, research, and material flows modelling emphasize that measures to reduce or restrain plastic production are a critical element needed for addressing plastic pollution and protecting human health and the environment. Reduction of unsustainable production and supply is needed to advance solutions across the entire plastics lifecycle.
Science-based, globally agreed criteria to determine the safety and sustainability of plastic products and alternative new solutions, including non-plastic products such as bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics, are paramount to enabling a toxic-free circular plastics economy. These criteria should inform and guide all control measures and targets, including for regulating problematic and avoidable plastics, as well as polymers and chemicals of concern.
Transparency and traceability throughout the plastic life cycle will be a critical element for an effective legally binding instrument, enabling its successful implementation at both global and national levels. The instrument should increase transparency in product design and composition, setting globally harmonized requirements for transparency and traceability of chemical and material information, along with labelling standards.
Monitoring plastic pollution is essential for tracking progress made in implementing treaty commitments while ensuring transparency and accountability. This requires the establishment of standardized global procedures and protocols, open-access data systems, and a global digital hub under an international body to integrate life-cycle data. Monitoring mechanisms must be designed to inform and complement periodic evaluations, providing essential data to assess progress and the treaty’s effectiveness. For long-term success, sustainable funding and alignment with existing frameworks are critical.
The instrument should incorporate clear commitments and robust just transition measures across the plastics full lifecycle to minimize burden and macroeconomic impacts on vulnerable communities and regions, including the most remote areas such as the polar regions. These provisions should promote technical assistance, technology transfer and capacity building, along with a robust financial and technical support mechanism for effective implementation.
A robust enabling environment is critical for the implementation of commitments, particularly through the establishment of a strong financial mechanism, particularly supporting implementation in low-income countries and SIDS. Addressing these challenges requires substantial investments—estimated at over $1 trillion USD over a 20-year period—to improve and expand waste management systems in these regions. We support the creation of a dedicated multilateral fund, informed by thorough needs assessments and existing evidence, to ensure equitable and effective support.
Ongoing decision-making under the treaty must be underpinned by robust scientific evidence and independent expert input. To achieve this, scientific advisory structures should remain independent from external pressures, be free of conflicts of interest, and ensure transparent, timely access to multidisciplinary evidence. These structures must also engage diverse knowledge holders and leverage synergies with existing science-policy bodies. We strongly recommend that the terms of reference and rules of procedure for these structures be guided by an analysis of the performance, independence, and effectiveness of similar scientific and technical bodies established under other Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs)
The ISC at the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5)
The ISC is committed to advancing a robust legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution, grounded in the latest scientific evidence. Through active collaboration with Member States, the ISC is working to ensure access to comprehensive scientific insights spanning natural and social sciences.
The ISC expert group on plastic pollution has actively coordinated policy-relevant contributions, delivering statement and written inputs, organized side events and roundtables, participated in regional workshops and worked closely with national delegations during the intersessional period leading up to INC-5.
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