Environmental Justice Foundation Calls for Binding Targets to Reduce Plastic Production at COP31
The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) is advocating for significant action on plastics at COP31, emphasizing the plastics industry's growing contribution to climate change. According to the EJF, the plastics sector currently accounts for 4-5% of global emissions, primarily during the production process. Projections indicate that by 2040, if the global plastics system were a country, it would be the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter worldwide, trailing only China and the United States. Major fossil fuel companies are increasingly viewing plastics as a growth strategy as renewable energy sources displace their traditional fuels. The EJF is urging for the inclusion of binding targets to reduce plastic production and consumption as a central component of countries' climate commitments and calls for the exclusion of fossil fuel and petrochemical interests from COP31 discussions.
