As the fourth round of negotiations for a UN Global Plastic Treaty begins in Canada, a group of global corporations and non-governmental organisations have united on corporate accountability tools to fight plastic pollution.
The group, including SAP, EA Earth Action, Systemiq and Delterra, gathered in Ottawa, Canada to align on plastic data-sharing measures and a corporate accountability framework.
While a future UN treaty is likely to set parameters for plastic pollution mitigation at a state level, the group said that corporate plastic targets that mirror government targets are needed to accelerate change.
After nations have conducted three rounds of negotiations, the group have urged nations to back “ambitious global policies” including mandatory disclosure of plastic usage.
The group said increasing the amount of data exchanged will be “vital” as a future UN Treaty is expected to accelerate plastic disclosure by corporations and enable more effective methods of waste prevention.
According to data released this month by non-profit CDP thousands of companies are behind on steps to tackle plastic pollution in their value chains. Of the 3,000 companies that disclosed data on plastics through CDP, 70% have not yet mapped the impacts of their plastic-related activities on the environment and human health.
As we head into the INC-4 negotiations, we hope that Packaging IQ 2.0 can help facilitate the direct action required that aligns with a high-ambition global plastic treaty.
SAP, EA Earth Action, Systemiq and Delterra said they have partnered to tackle this issue and enable companies to make “informed strategic decisions” as well as report on progress for corporate targets.
The group has proposed corporate frameworks and data-driven digital platforms for plastic waste mitigation as well as data reporting platforms.
Yoni Shiran, Partner, Packaging IQ 2.0, commented: “Today, brands are facing several obstacles and high costs to transition to more sustainable packaging.
“We are launching Packaging IQ 2.0 later this year to support brands in making better packaging decisions and allow companies to align across strategies, which we believe is an essential lever for unlocking systems-level change.
“This is a shared vision across Systemiq, Delterra, Earth Action and SAP – only by working together can companies, governments, non-governmental organisations and civil society truly address plastic pollution.
“As we head into the INC-4 negotiations, we hope that Packaging IQ 2.0 can help facilitate the direct action required that aligns with a high-ambition global plastic treaty.”
