WTO Public Forum 2024 session: The new plastics economy – how to make a transition possible

National and international efforts are underway to curb plastic pollution. With global plastics trade reaching $1.2 trillion, international trade in goods and services will necessarily play an important enabling role in those efforts.

With plastic pollution being one of the major global anthropogenic challenges of this century, tackling this challenge needs, reuse, recycling, and, where possible and practicable, replacement of plastics with sustainable substitutes or more environmentally friendly alternatives.

Different perspectives on the transition to a new plastics economy necessarily involve the role of trade, ranging from the negotiations for a new multilateral treaty to reduce and eliminate plastic pollution, to plastics-related discussions at the World Trade Organization (WTO), to innovative business cases enabling such transition on the ground.

The ongoing negotiations within the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution show that the alignment of trade policies and the objective of reducing plastic pollution is important, reinforcing the WTO's role in promoting not only efficient global trade but also facilitating trade of sustainable goods, thus contributing to the three pillars of sustainable development

As part of the 2024 World Trade Organization (WTO) Public Forum, this session examines how sustainable trade solutions can facilitate the global transition to a New Plastics Economy, where materials are produced and traded in a way to prevent harm to human health and the environment.  The event will bring together representatives of the public and the private sectors to discuss the role of trade in enabling important services for plastic pollution control, as well as promising non-plastic substitutes that can deliver similar function while assisting sunrise industries.

The discussion will focus on several overarching questions, including:

• What role should the WTO and existing international trade rules play in a new circular plastics economy?
• How do trade considerations inform the INC negotiations on plastic pollution? 
• How could the WTO and the UN better coordinate on plastics-related trade issues to ensure synergy and avoid duplication of efforts?
• Is anything missing from the current discussion on how trade in goods and services can contribute to the transition to a better circular materials economy?
• What are the main challenges for innovative business solutions in this space and what trade-related measures are necessary to support them?

Registration

This session is part of the 2024 World Trade Organization (WTO) Public Forum, Re-globalization: Better Trade for a Better World. Participation is in-person only and requires registration via the WTO Public Forum 2024 webpage.

Programme

Moderator

• Ms. Tetyana Payosova, Senior Associate, Van Bael & Bellis

Speakers

• Mr. Henrique Pacini, Economic Affairs Officer, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• Ms. Heloisa Pereira, Undersecretary for International Trade, Brazilian Foreign Trade Chamber, Brazil
• Ms. Elzette Henshilwood, SMEP Portfolio Manager, SouthSouthNorth, South Africa
• Mr. Alexander Sobolenko, CEO and Co-Founder, Releaf Paper, Ukraine