Signal UN Global Plastics Treaty negotiations

Summary

The report cites several agreements and negotiations as evidence that international efforts are slowly moving toward respecting the planetary boundaries. Among them, the negotiations on a UN Global Plastics Treaty reflect a growing view that novel entities are a major systemic risk to global public health and food systems. The talks also mirror a shared sense that these substances need international control over their whole life cycle. The report states that 19 to 23 million tonnes of plastic waste enter waterways each year and that micro- and nanoplastics are found in almost every organism, humans included. The Novel Entities boundary has already been judged transgressed because so many substances are released without adequate testing. The report stresses that gathering more evidence must not become an excuse for delaying action.