Bridge to Busan:

Declaration on Primary Plastic Polymers

We, the undersigned members of the intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) and those concerned about the many harms of plastic pollution to human health and the environment, are committed to ending plastic pollution worldwide.

We reaffirm the mandate of United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) Resolution 5/14 to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics.

We emphasize that the full lifecycle of plastics includes the production of primary plastic polymers.

Studies show that the world cannot achieve its goals of ending plastic pollution and limiting global average temperature rise to less than 1.5° Celsius if the unsustainable production of primary plastic polymers is not addressed.

Left unaddressed, production of primary plastic polymers is projected to increase exponentially through 2050 and could overwhelm national waste management and recycling programs, even after significant improvements supported by the new instrument.

Addressing the unsustainable production of primary plastic polymers is not only essential to ending plastic pollution worldwide; it also represents one of the most efficient and cost-effective approaches to managing the plastic pollution problem.

Moreover, a balancing of efforts across the full lifecycle of plastics—from production and design through waste management and remediation—is necessary to equitably distribute the overall burden of efforts shared among countries, each of which must contribute to achieving the collective goals of the new instrument.

For these reasons, we call on members to:

COMMIT to achieve sustainable levels of production of primary plastic polymers. This includes ensuring production matches ambitions for a circular economy for plastics, while aligning with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C.

ENSURE transparency in the production of primary plastic polymers.  This includes reporting of data on the production of primary plastic polymers to close information gaps, assess progress and inform priorities.

AGREE to a global objective regarding the sustainable production of primary plastic polymers. This may include production freezes at specified levels, production reductions against agreed baselines, or other agreed constraints to prevent the unsustainable production of primary plastic polymers.

Bridge to Busan:

Declaration on Primary Plastic Polymers

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Australia

Austria

Belgium

Cabo Verde

Cameroon

Chile

Cook Islands

Côte d’Ivoire

Denmark

European Union

Federated States of Micronesia

Fiji

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Ghana

Grenada

Guinea

Iceland

Ireland

Israel

Signatories

Countries

Luxembourg

Malawi

Maldives

Mauritius

Moldova

Monaco

Nauru

Netherlands

Nigeria

Norway

Peru

Philippines

Portugal

Rwanda

Senegal

Solomon Islands

Sweden

Switzerland

Tuvalu

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Vanuatu

Stakeholders

ACR+

ACT Health Promotion

ADUPI (Asosiasi Daur Ulang Plastik Indonesia)

AUSMAP

A Plastic Planet

Algramo

Archdiocese Manila Ministry on Ecology

Armenian Women for Health & Healthy Environment

Associação Mar Moçambique

Association For Promotion Sustainable Development (India)

Bermuda Innovation & Technology Association

Blessings of the Forest - Gabon

Bureau of International Recycling

Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty

CEJAD Kenya

Cercarbono

Chumbe Island Coral Park (CHICOP) Ltd

CircuPlus Ltd.

Citoyens Volontaires

Cleaner Seas Project

Climate Change Center (Korea)

Common Seas

CoralWatch

Earth Action

Earth Law Center

Echologika, Ltd.

EcoDigital

Ecorethink Organisation

Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Environmental Coalition on Standards

Environmental Investigation Agency

Fondation Tara Ocean

FUNGERES

Galapagos Conservation Trust

Gallifrey Foundation

Global Plastics Policy Centre, University of Portsmouth

Global Youth and Sustainability Organisation

Global Zero Waste

Green Energy Strategy Institute

Green Environment Youth Korea

GreenForest Solutions

Green Salon Ltd.

Green Transformation and Sustainability Network

Green Vientiane

Green Worms Waste Management

InfinArt

Innovation Alliance for a Global Plastics Treaty

Institute for Energy & Climate Strategies

Knowledge Impact Network

Laura Spluf

LUCITA

MarViva

Monterey Bay Aquarium

No More Butts

No Plastic In My Sea

Objectif Zéro Plastique

OceanCare

OceanKita

Ocean. Now!

Orléans Zéro Plastique

Packaging for the Future

PCX Solutions

Planet A

Plastic Bank Foundation

PlasticBusters

PlasticFree

Plastic Health Council

Plastic Soup Foundation

Polish Zero Waste Association

PNOSCMC (Mozambique)

S-EnPol Company, Ltd.

Sciaena

Searious Business

Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme

Suraksha

Surfrider Foundation Europe

Tabor Place

TESS (Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs)

Tearfund

The Pew Charitable Trusts

The Scarab Trust

Trash Hero World

Unwaste.io

Waves of Change

WayZero

WRAP

WWF

Yunus Thailand

Zero Waste Europe

Zero Waste Vashon

The Bridge to Busan Declaration is endorsed by countries and stakeholders of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. Interested countries and stakeholders are encouraged to join this call to action on primary plastic polymers by signing the Declaration.