Pledges to tackle marine litter by reducing plastic and to combat antimicrobial resistance have been adopted by countries around the world, including the UK, at this year’s United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi.
UN member states this week (6 December) agreed to work together to tackle the issue of marine litter by reducing the amount of plastic and litter in the world’s oceans.
Under the agreement, an international taskforce will advise how to combat marine litter – an issue the UN’s oceans chief has described as a “planetary crisis” – in a bid to tackle the 8m tonnes of plastic making their way into oceans every year.
Environment Minister Therese Coffey said: “Countries around the world need to take urgent action to stop plastic entering our oceans and I am delighted that today’s UN agreement clearly demonstrates our shared commitment.
“At home, the UK continues to be a world leader in tackling this issue – taking nine billion plastic bags out of circulation with our 5p carrier bag charge and drawing up one of the world’s toughest bans on microbeads.”
“At home, the UK continues to be a world leader in tackling this issue – taking nine billion plastic bags out of circulation with our 5p carrier bag charge and drawing up one of the world’s toughest bans on microbeads.”
A commitment to help tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was also agreed among UN member states as part of a resolution on environment and health.
This consolidated support for existing progress made on AMR through the work of various UN agencies and others; highlighted the need to further understand the impact of AMR on the environment; and formally commissioned the UN Environment Programme to produce a report on the environmental impacts of AMR, including the causes for development and spread of resistance in the environment.
Member states are also being encouraged to consider putting in place measures to manage waste and waste water, including manufacturers of antibiotics where applicable, in order to minimise antimicrobial pollution.
UK officials were instrumental in negotiating the new international commitments on marine litter and antimicrobial resistance, Defra says.
These resolutions were adopted by all UN member states and will be instrumental in shaping international action on these key issues.
The news follows a “plastics roundtable” held last week by Environment Secretary Michael Gove, who said he wanted to see a “cross-sector” plan for plastics.
Plastics & Marine Litter
The Government recently announced it will hold a consultation on taxing and charging “environmentally damaging” single-use plastics. The consultation will include “packaging and bubble wrap, polystyrene takeaway boxes and throwaway coffee cups”.
The Government also recently announced a consultation that will look into a deposit return system for plastic drinks containers.
Recently released Defra figures show the number of litter items found on the sea floor around the UK has risen 150% in a year.
More than 8m tonnes of plastic are discarded into the world’s oceans each year, putting marine wildlife under serious threat, it says.
Up to 80% of this is estimated to have been originally lost or discarded on land before washing out to sea, and plastic bottles are a particular concern, Defra says – with figures showing just 57% of those sold in the UK in 2016 collected for recycling.
