Plastic pathways to INC-5: ending pollution and reducing climate emissions

As the global community prepares for INC-5 (the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee) to negotiate a legally binding international plastics treaty, increasing resource efficiency (RE) and promoting the circular economy (CE) are becoming more and more important. This side event aims to highlight the potential of RE and CE measures to reduce the environmental—and more specifically, climate—impact of plastics throughout their entire life cycle. The outcomes of COP27 and COP28 have already underlined the importance of these strategies, particularly in relation to greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction and mitigation strategies.
Plastics are a major contributor to global GHG emissions, emitting significant amounts of CO₂ during their production, use and disposal. It is estimated that the production and incineration of plastics alone will emit approximately 3 gigatons of CO₂ per year by 2050 if current trends continue. This alarming projection reinforces the urgency of a transformation of the plastics industry through improved RE and CE practices. Shifting to sustainable and closed-loop production and consumption patterns can significantly reduce reliance on energy-intensive and fossil-based primary raw materials.

This event will serve as a critical platform not only for discussing the scientific and policy aspects of RE and CE in plastics value chains, but also for sending strong, impactful messages towards INC-5. Organised by BMUV, the event aims to foster collaboration between relevant stakeholders and catalyse stronger global commitments and more robust frameworks for addressing the challenges posed by plastic pollution and its contribution to climate change.

This COP29 side event will continue the path taken by the German government and provide a valuable platform to convey key messages towards INC-5. It aims to enhance the impact on international policy and to contribute to the development of new nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that align policies on circularity, resources and climate more closely.