Our Ocean Conference in Bali: Veolia signs the Global Commitment to eliminate plastic pollution at the source
"Our ocean, our heritage" is the theme of the 5th Our Ocean Conference, which brings together representatives from governments, business and civil society and scientists in Bali. On this occasion, 250 organizations - including Veolia - signed a "Global Commitment" to eradicate plastic waste and pollution at the source, initiated by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with the UN Environment. Laurent Auguste, Veolia Senior Executive Vice President Development, Innovation and Markets participated in the event.
The Global Commitment to eradicate waste and plastic pollution at the source has been signed by leading producers, brands, retailers and recyclers of packaging, as well as by governments and NGOs. It pursues three targets:
►eliminate problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and move from single-use to reuse packaging models
► innovate to ensure 100% of plastic packaging can be easily and safely reused, recycled, or composted by 2025
► circulate the plastic produced, by significantly increasing the amounts of plastics reused or recycled and made into new packaging or products
These targets will be reviewed every 18 months, and the signatories will publish annual data on their progress to help ensure transparency
Dame Ellen McArthur presented the project: “We know that cleaning up plastics from our beaches and oceans is vital, but this does not stop the tide of plastic entering the oceans each year. We need to move upstream to the source of the flow. The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment draws a line in the sand, with businesses, governments and others around the world uniting behind a clear vision for what we need to create a circular economy for plastic. I encourage all businesses and governments to go further and embark on a race to the top in the creation of a circular economy for plastic. One in which this material never becomes waste or pollution.”.
"Veolia aims to expand its plastics recycling business by 5 to reach one billion euros in sales in 2025. The Group wants to contribute to increasing the volume and quality of recycled plastic to encourage the development of market and respond to growing demand," explained Laurent Auguste.
Erik Solheim, Executive Director of UN Environment, said: “Ocean plastic is one of the most visible and disturbing examples of a plastic pollution crisis. The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment is the most ambitious set of targets we have seen yet in the fight to beat plastics pollution. It sets out the steps businesses and governments must take if we are to find a solution to the root causes of plastic pollution.”
The signatories to the Global Commitment
Signatories include companies representing 20% of all plastic packaging produced globally. 40 universities and academic institutions, 15 financial institutions and 5 venture capital funds also approved the Global Commitment.
In recent decades, marine environments have suffered widespread deterioration. To reverse this trend, the world needs to invest in innovative solutions for the blue economy, maritime safety, marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, marine pollution, and the impacts of climate change. Veolia is developing solutions to stop pollution of the world's seas and oceans focusing on three main areas: treat and limit land pollution in the coastal areas and upstream; prevent and reduce area’s vulnerability; Transform production and consumption models towards a circular economy.
