Overview of the report

This report assesses how the current global regulatory framework addresses chemicals in plastics and explores opportunities for MEAs to complement the objectives, scope, and control measures of the new legally binding insrumet on plastic pollution, as well as to assess the feasibility of regulating chemicals of concern associated with plastics under the BRS Conventions. It evaluates the scientific and technical mechanisms of MEAs like the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm conventions, the Minamata Convention, and the Montreal Protocol, which regulate specific chemicals and wastes associated with plastics. These mechanisms provide insights into risk assessment, decision-making, and the development of global databases and guidelines for managing chemicals of concern in plastics. The report highlights how these frameworks manage hazardous chemicals, their trade, and their environmental impacts, while identifying gaps and overlaps that a new plastics instrument could address.

This independent report was commissioned by the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions and produced by the University of Wollongong, Australia. It was made possible through the generous support of the Government of Norway and the European Union. 

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Overview of the report

This report provides the first comprehensive mapping of global governance for plastics and associated chemicals, covering both binding and voluntary measures that explicitly or indirectly address these issues. It highlights the inadequacy of the current governance framework to achieve the goal of ending plastic pollution and proposes mechanisms to close governance gaps, such as strengthening existing multilateral environmental agreements, introducing new measures under a global plastics agreement, and establishing criteria for eliminating hazardous chemicals and designing sustainable, non-toxic plastics.

Commissioned by the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions and produced by the University of Wollongong, Australia, the report incorporates insights from governments, academia, NGOs, UN bodies, and the private sector. Supported by the Government of Norway, it emphasizes the need for globally agreed principles, including those in UNEA Resolutions, to guide improved governance across the plastic lifecycle.

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