Clyde Alexandra

Towards an international treaty on plastic pollution

Aotearoa New Zealand is working with other countries on an international treaty on plastic pollution.

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In March 2022, 193 nations endorsed a historic decision to negotiate the treaty. UN member states established an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee with the aim of agreeing the treaty by the end of 2024. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Ministry for the Environment are attending the fifth round of negotiations that started today in Busan, South Korea, and conclude on 1 December.

In negotiations, our country is advocating for a treaty to take a full lifecycle approach to plastic, addressing issues from the extraction of raw materials through to disposal and pollution impacts on ecosystems. 

In November 2022, Aotearoa New Zealand also joined the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution. Members of the High Ambition Coalition share a common vision to end plastic pollution by 2040.