Plastics Webinar. No data, no deal: why science and data must drive final plastics treaty negotiations

Thurs 17 July, 04:00 and 13:00 GMT

As delegates prepare for the resumed negotiations for the global plastic treaty (INC-5.2), the need for data-driven decision-making has never been more critical. Previous negotiations were notably disconnected from scientific evidence, and calls for mechanisms of transparency, accountability and reporting went unanswered. 

The availability of data to track the ‘full life cycle’ of plastics into and within a national economy will be critical to support a robust and effective regime for plastics. However, data availability and national data infrastructure for plastics have so far been overlooked within the global policy dialogues, which has led to persistent gaps in ambition and implementation.  

To date, no country has reported data across the full lifecycle of plastics. Over one quarter (26%) regularly reports data on waste generation, and one quarter (25%) consistently reports data on recycling, as evidenced in the Global Plastics Data Tracker. This information gap undermines our ability to design effective policies, track progress, and hold ourselves accountable for the commitments we make. 

The Chair’s Text, developed at the end of previous negotiations in Busan, South Korea (INC-5.1), will form the basis of discussions at INC-5.2. Alarmingly, mechanisms of transparency, accountability and reporting remain underdiscussed in the Chair’s Text, and a system for tracking national and global progress is notably ambiguous. Without comprehensive data systems in place, we risk creating a treaty that cannot be effectively implemented or monitored. 

To be effective and deliver on its promise of ending plastic pollution – any final treaty text must include a binding obligation to compile relevant national data on plastics.

Without bridging this data gap, we risk undermining the new global regime before it even begins.  

The UNSW Centre for Sustainable Development Reform (CSDR) and Global Ocean Accounts Partnership (GOAP) Secretariat have developed several tools to support countries in identifying data gaps, targeting priority areas for capacity building and developing a work plan to strengthen national data systems. 

Join this webinar where experts in environmental law and science will: 

• Examine why data must be central to the final negotiations and how the current information gap undermines effective plastics governance 
• Assess the current state of global plastics data availability using the Global Plastics Data Tracker 
• Introduce practical tools developed to support countries in strengthening their national data on plastics across the lifecycle 
• Explore country perspectives on data challenges and opportunities in treaty implementation 

Data Tools

Introducing the Global Plastics Data Tracker

A data platform to identify public sources of information on global plastics data

UNSW SitesHelena Dickinson

Data-driven solutions: the Plastics Data Checklist

UNSW Sites

Insights

Tackling Plastic Pollution Through Better Data

UNSW SitesEmily Belonje, Dr Randika Jayasinghe, Bella Charlesworth and Helena Dickinson

Counting our way to Zero Waste: How waste metrics will drive global change

As we mark International Day of Zero Waste - a critical milestone for rethinking our relationship with production, consumption and waste - we want to encourage nations to establish robust systems to collect data on waste generation and treatment. Such systems are essential for transforming aspirations for a “Zero Waste future” into meaningful action.

UNSW SitesEmily Belonje, Helena Dickinson and Dr Randika Jayasinghe

Closing the Information Gap in Global Plastics Governance: No Data, No Deal

Without improving national data on plastics, even the most ambitious treaty will be implemented in the dark, making commitments difficult to properly measure and collective progress impossible to accurately understand.

The Global Ocean Accounts PartnershipGOAP Secretariat

Previous plastics webinars

Webinar. Data-Driven Decision Making: Preparing for the Global Plastic Treaty

UNSW SitesEliza Northrop