A key decision in the upcoming Ottawa negotiations on the UN Global Plastics Treaty will be the choice of a strategy for ending plastic pollution. The Minderoo Monaco Commission argues that a mandatory cap on plastic production with targets, timetables, and national production quotas must be a core treaty provision, because exponential increases in production are the main driver of plastics’ worsening harms. In contrast, plastic producers advocate for pollution control through enhanced recycling. However, plastic recycling is less efficient than curbing pollution at source and has proven ineffective. Less than 10% of all plastic are currently recycled, and plastic recycling rates have not improved in the past two decades.
Join the Stimson Center for a discussion about credible information and evidence-based recommendations which can support the treaty negotiators as they seek to reduce plastic pollution and safeguard human health. This is the second event in a series on the UN Global Plastics Treaty, with the first event exploring the need for a Global Plastics Treaty online here.
Keynote Speaker
Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for Plastics Pollution
Jyoti Mathur-Filipp is the Executive Secretary of the INC Secretariat for Plastics Pollution, and most recently as Director at the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. She has held key roles in inter-governmental processes, leading the work on the new global biodiversity framework. With over 25 years of experience in international environmental diplomacy, she possesses extensive knowledge in environment, climate, and sustainable development networks. She began her career with UNDP and managed groundbreaking partnerships. Her diverse roles include consulting for UNFCCC and senior advisory positions at UNDP. Mrs. Mathur-Filipp holds an MSc and MBA and is an alumnus of esteemed educational institutions.
Featured Speakers
Judith Enck, Founder and President, Beyond Plastics
Judith Enck is the founder and President of Beyond Plastics, a national project with the goal of eliminating plastic pollution. She was appointed by President Obama to serve as Regional Administrator at the US Environmental Protection Agency. She served previously as Deputy Secretary for the Environment in the Office of the Governor of New York. She has a distinguished career in government and in the non-profit community on a range of environmental protection issues.
Marcus Leslie Suntay, Head of Strategy, Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Inc Shipping Cluster
Leslie graduated from the Sweden Institute Management Program in 2016 (Stockholm), which inspired him to find ways to incorporate sustainability practices married into business upon his return to the Philippines. He supports projects on plastic waste diversion, organic waste composting, youth education, and disaster resilience through the collective effort of his company, PTC., as well as local government units and supply chain stakeholders.
Erica Nuñez, Head of Plastics Initiative, The Ocean Federation
Erica Nuñez is Head of The Ocean Foundation’s Plastics Initiative, where she leads the management and strategic development of the organization’s scientific and policy activities related to combating plastic pollution. She directs the organization’s engagement within and UN Environment Programme, including the ongoing negotiations at the INC on Plastic Pollution, and the development of a Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and to Prevent Pollution, among other international fora. Erica has nearly 20 years of experience in conservation, including 14 years serving within the US federal government before moving on to the NGO sector.
Philip Landrigan, Director, Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College
Philip Landrigan, MD, MSc, is a pediatrician and epidemiologist. He directs the Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good at Boston College and also acts as Medical Consultant for the Human Health Center at the Centre Scientifique de Monaco. His research examines the impacts on children’s health of toxic environmental hazards and more recently has expanded to examine planetary threats– climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. Since 2019, Dr. Landrigan has led the Monaco Commission on Human Health and Ocean Pollution, and he is Chair of the Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health. He is a member of the US National Academy of Medicine.
Moderator
Brian Eyler, Senior Fellow and Director, Southeast Asia Program, Stimson Center
Brian Eyler directs the Southeast Asia Program and the Energy, Water, and Sustainability Program. He is an expert on transboundary issues in the Mekong region and specializes in China’s economic cooperation with Southeast Asia. He is widely recognized as a leading voice on environmental, energy, and water security issues in the Mekong. Brian is co-lead on the Mekong Dam Monitor. His first book, Last Days of the Mighty Mekong, was published by Zed Books in 2019.