Plastics - both visible and invisible – need a global approach
On the 20th of November, the 2nd Stakeholder Conference on Plastic and Micro Plastic Pollution met, aiming to define the next steps to tackle the plastic pollution crisis. This event was jointly organized by IUCN, the Austrian EU Presidency and the Network of European Environment Agencies, and took place at the premises of the Permanent Representation of Estonia in Brussels.
Photo: Environment Agency Austria
Photo: Environment Agency Austria
Over 80 participants representing a wide diversity of stakeholders from the plastic industry, public administration, academia and NGOs discussed the most urgent issues to be addressed, as well as actions to be taken. Participants agreed that although plastic pollution has become very visible in the public debate, a very important concern is the plastics we cannot see, microplastics, and these also need to be addressed. There was consensus about the fact that plastics and microplastics form a global problem and a global approach is needed. Finally, “supporting the implementation of the Plastics Strategy and the proposal for the Single-use Plastic directive is a crucial action for the upcoming years”, said Luc Bas, Director of the IUCN European Regional Office.
Amongst the speakers and panelists of the first panel, moderated by our own Director of the IUCN European Regional Office Luc Bas, were Director General Daniel Calleja-Crespo (DG ENV), Elisabeth Köstinger (Austrian Minster of Sustainability and Tourism), Lilian Busse (UBA DE), Karl Föster (PlasticsEurope), Virginia Janssens (The European Organisation for Packaging and the Environment) and Patrick ten Brink (EEB).
IUCN Report on marine plastics (2017)
Web story Umweltbundesamt (Environment Agency Austria)
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