Shaping Global Plastics Treaty: IGES's Key Contributions to INC-3's 'Monitoring Situation and Progress of the Future Instrument' Side Event

The INC-3 side event titled 'Monitoring the situation/progress of the future instrument: objectives/targets, baselines, indicators, and timelines' served as a critical platform for discussing the measurement and monitoring of progress in a future treaty. The session was held on 15 November 2023 at the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), was structured to explore different perspectives on who should be involved in this process, what should be measured and monitored, and how these activities should be carried out. It was an interactive session with contributions from government, IGO, NGO, businesses, and the environmental convention, focusing on aligning actions across various sectors.

In this critical discussion, IGES played a pivotal role, focusing on the ASEAN region's efforts in plastic waste management and marine debris reduction by highlighted advancements and challenges faced by ASEAN countries in implementing national action plans. Emphasising the need for realistic goal-setting, harmonising data, and acknowledging the significance of local implementation, IGES's insights were instrumental. Moreover, IGES contributed to key policy considerations, advocating for transparent, consistent, and standardised methodologies in monitoring and measuring a future treaty. The presentation emphasised the importance of data traceability, digitalisation, and technology integration, while also emphasising the need for enhanced capacity building and knowledge-sharing among government officials and stakeholders. IGES’s support in developing the G20 Report on Actions against Marine Plastic Litter, and its involvement with the ERIA’s Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris (KRC-MPD), further demonstrated IGES’s commitment to global collaboration and knowledge dissemination in tackling marine plastic pollution. IGES’s contributions significantly enriched the dialogue, providing a framework for future action and collaboration.

The event brought forth a multitude of key messages and insights, not only from IGES but also from other esteemed panel speakers. The consensus underscored the need for a multi-stakeholder approach in measuring and monitoring progress for a future treaty. Panel speakers emphasised the importance of synergies between Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and the an international legally binding instrument (ILBI), highlighting the need to include aspects of conservation, biodiversity, and climate change. The role of both State and Non-State Actors in implementation and compliance, particularly in the context of the triple planetary crisis, was a focal point. Additionally, there was significant discussion on corporate sector support for plastic-related disclosure, with data indicating a growing trend in companies and financial institutions advocating for mandatory disclosure. The event also highlighted substantial data gaps in the global economy's production, use, and disposal of plastics, emphasising the need for transparent tracking against ILBI aims. Furthermore, the integration of corporate disclosures with national reporting, data harmonisation, and tracking leakage in the value chain were identified as critical components for effective monitoring.

The session concluded with policy considerations for the INC process, suggesting learning from MEAs like the Convention on Wetlands, establishing clear rules for data sharing, and advocating for an Accountability Council to ensure consistent standards for plastic pollution accounting. These discussions reflected a collective understanding of the challenges and a shared vision for robust, actionable strategies against plastic pollution.

Led by Karine Siegwart from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the session featured a panel of experts including Dr. Musonda Mumba, serving as the Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands; Cristóbal Hernández Castillo from the Chilean Ministry of Environment; Delphine Garin, representing the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD); Oliver Tanqueray from CDP; and Chochoe Devaporihartakula from IGES. Their collective insights and knowledge significantly contributed to the session's discussions, which focused on pressing environmental issues, with a particular emphasis on the challenges and solutions related to global plastic pollution.