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POLLUTION AND HEALTH | 27

DELIVERING A GLOBAL TREATY ON PLASTIC
At the United Nations Environment Assembly,
the group of experts on plastic pollution created
in 2017 held its latest meeting online from
9 to 13 November 2020. The option of a treaty
was discussed and is still one of the options
presented to the Assembly in February 2021.
The European Union is in favour of a new treaty,
alongside Norway and the United Kingdom.
It is also a matter of creating a dedicated
intergovernmental platform of experts, a sort
of plastic IPCC, which could include hesitant
countries (like the United States). “The COVID-19
crisis has increased the production of single-use
plastic. The situation has got worse, but it might
encourage countries to take a stance and speed
up the process”, explained CNRS expert Pascale
Ricard (University of Aix-Marseille).

© Lucile Courtial