The ongoing negotiations have the potential to strengthen global cooperation and provide a framework for concerted action to tackle both plastic pollution and its climate impacts.
Applying lessons from the Montreal Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will forge an effective Global Plastics Treaty.
The new global treaty to end plastic pollution should consider support for on-the-ground initiatives that remove and recycle waste. A disconnect between international plans and local realities can thwart progress and breed cynicism.