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Growing awareness of plastic pollution has influenced public opinion and led to stronger policy interventions, according to the ‘Global Plastics Outlook: Economic Drivers, Environmental Impacts and Policy Options,’ published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in February 2022. The authors report that the current magnitude of plastics consumption globally is leading to a high carbon footprint related to production, as well as to high waste volumes, persistent pollution, and harm to wildlife and ecosystems. The level of consumption requires increased circularity in the plastics lifecycle. The Outlook report underscores that making the plastics lifecycle more circular requires expanding national policies and improving international cooperation to mitigate environmental impacts along the whole value chain. Existing international, national, and local policy responses, and industry commitments are not sufficient, since plastics production and waste generation continue to increase.
The OECD report: quantifies the current production, use, disposal, and key environmental impacts throughout the plastics lifecycle; identifies opportunities for reducing negative externalities; seeks to inform and support policy efforts to combat plastic leakage; and investigates the ways in which COVID-19 has affected plastics use and waste across sectors and regions. The report provides a picture of the full lifecycle of plastics globally, including production, consumption, waste, recycling, disposal, leakage, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The Global Plastics Outlook outlines five key findings regarding current challenges:
The plastics lifecycle is not currently circular. For example, from 2000 to 2019, only 9% of plastic waste was recycled, while 19% was incinerated and almost 50% went to sanitary landfills. The remaining 22% was disposed of in uncontrolled dumpsites, burned in open pits, or leaked into the environment.
COVID-19 has increased single-use plastic waste and related littering (including due to the use of protective personal equipment or PPE), though overall plastics use fell slightly due to lockdowns and decline in economic activity during 2020, which reduced plastics use by 2.2% from 2019 levels.
Mismanaged plastic waste is the main source of macro-plastic leakage, which accounts for 88% of plastic leakage overall. Microplastics account for the other 12%, coming from sources such as tyre abrasion, brake wear, or textile washing. Microplastics contribute substantially to humans’ and ecosystems’ exposure to leaked plastics and related risks.
Significant stocks of plastics have already accumulated in aquatic environments. The build-up of plastics in rivers implies that leakage into the ocean will continue for decades even if mismanaged plastic waste is reduced.
Plastics have a significant carbon footprint, contributing 3.4% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout their lifecycle. In 2019, plastics generated 1.8 billion tonnes of emissions, with 90% of those emissions from their production and conversion from fossil fuels.
The report also identifies four critical levers to reduce the environmental impact of plastics and increase circularity. First, the authors call for stronger support for recycled plastics markets. Secondary plastics from recycling are still only 6% of the total feedstock.
Second, the report notes the need for policies to increase technological innovation for a more circular plastics lifecycle. More ambitious policies could include investments in innovation and interventions to increase demand for circular solutions while reducing plastics consumption. Third, there is specific need at the domestic level for more ambitious policies. The Outlook reports that only 13 countries in 50 OECD, emerging, and developing countries have national policy instruments that provide direct financial incentives to sort plastic waste at source. Only 25 countries have effectively implemented instruments that encourage recycling, such as national landfill and incineration taxes. Globally, more than 120 countries have bans and taxes on single-use plastic items, but most are limited to plastic bags or other small-volume items. A policy roadmap is proposed for countries to reduce the leakage of macroplastics.
Finally, the report calls for strengthening international cooperation to increase circularity and achieve net-zero plastic leakage. Investments in basic waste management infrastructure are needed, especially in developing countries. The required costs are estimated at EUR 25 billion a year in low and middle-income countries, and all available funding sources will be needed. Efficient use of such investments will also require effective legal frameworks to enforce disposal obligations.
Approximately 5% for Central African countries and the bulk for other geographical zones... towards an "Accelerator for the preservation of the Congo Basin forests and peripheries" towards Belém COP 30 Climate post Glasgow?
... WRI’s Global Restoration Initiative and researchers from Land & Carbon Lab have partnered with Meta to develop a groundbreaking AI foundation model that we’ve used to produce the world’s first global map of tree canopy height at a 1-meter resolution, allowing the detection of single trees at a global scale...
The 20th CBFP Meeting of Parties (MoP20) held in Kinshasa, DRC from 3 to 5 June 2024 The Co-Facilitation of the Republic of France and Gabon for the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) organised five high-level round tables, on different topics during the MoP20.
The 20th Meeting of the Parties (MOP20) was a high point, marked by the participation of eight ministers from the Congo Basin and more than 600 participants, illustrating the importance and scope of our partnership. The CBFP proved once again that it is an essential forum for dialogue and cooperation. The diversity and commitment of the stakeholders present were a driving force for emulation and fruitful collaboration. Finally, the exemplary cooperation with the Congolese authorities greatly contributed to the success of this meeting.
Kinshasa, MOP 20 of the CBFP At the end of the proceedings, among other major resolutions, Ms Cécile Ndjebet, Champion of Forests and Champion of the Earth, Co-Leader of the CBFP civil society college, was elected by consensus to head the "Regional Civil Society Coalition for Forests and the Environment of the Congo Basin".
The Scientific and Academic College of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) is actively participating in the 26th IUFRO World Congress from 23 to 29 June 2024 in Stockholm, Sweden, with a booth located at A01:01 in Exhibition Hall A at Stockholmsmässan, Mässvägen 1, 125 80 Stockholm. Over the course of the week, a series of workshops will be held to present the platforms of forestry science in the Congo Basin and highlight the latest research, innovations and applied sciences.
10 June 2024: ITTO has urged more attention to the need for capacity building and training in the Congo Basin to ensure that the region’s vital forest sector and timber industry will be able to meet the requirements of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and other international trade measures.
It is with great respect and a deep sense of responsibility that we, the Africa Climate Action Initiative (ACAI), support the 20th Meeting of the Parties of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (RDP20) which will be held from 3 to June 5, 2024 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. This approach aims to strengthen our collective commitment to the sustainable management and conservation of the Congo Basin, a critical global resource, and to catalyze transformative actions that align with a shared vision for a sustainable and prosperous future.
The USAID FABS Project is organising 4 captivating webinars in French and English on the theme of nature-based tourism in the Congo Basin. These events will take place on Tuesday 11 and Thursday 13 June 2024. The aim of these webinars is to communicate the challenges and opportunities of sustainable tourism in Central Africa, while promoting mutual learning for the development of tourism in protected areas. The sessions will focus in particular on studies carried out in the DRC, Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Congo Brazzaville.
Libreville, Gabon 22 April 2024, Rainforest Trust has officially joined the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP). Rainforest Trust is now one of 129 member countries and organizations working together in the Congo Basin Forest Partnership to promote sustainable resource management, combat climate change and its impacts, improve living conditions and protect the unique biodiversity of Central Africa’s tropical forest.
The French-Gabonese Co-Facilitation of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) is pleased to inform you that the 20th Meeting of Parties (MoP20) of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership will be held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, from 3-5 June 2024. If you wish to attend the 20th Meeting of Parties (MoP) of the CBFP and related events, please register before 05 May, 23:59, 2024 by completing the form below and clicking on the button “register”. It will not be possible to attend the meeting without a properly completed registration procedure.
The 20th Meeting of the Parties to the CBFP (MOP20) will be held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, from 3 to 5 June 2024. The MOP20 is organised by the Co-Facilitation of the French and Gabonese Republics of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP). Please find the provisional programme of the 20th Meeting of the Parties of the CBFP (MOP20).
The French-Gabonese Co-Facilitation of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) is pleased to inform you that the 20th Meeting of Parties (MoP20) of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership will be held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, from 3-5 June 2024. If you wish to cover the 20th Meeting of the Parties (MOP) of the CBFP and associated meetings, please register before 16 May 2024 by filling in the form below and clicking on the "register" button.
The "Youth Forum for the Forests of Central Africa 2024" is scheduled to take place over 2 days from 31 May to 1 June in Kinshasa. It will bring together 150 young people from Central Africa and Europe who are committed to protecting forests and preserving the environment. This forum is organised by the Franco-Gabonese facilitation of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP), a 128-member initiative that serves as a platform for multi-sectoral dialogue on forest conservation. The Youth Forum will be a preliminary event to the CBFP Meeting of the Parties, which will take place from 3 to 5 June in Kinshasa, and will serve as a general assembly for its members.
Abuja, 19 April 2024, His Excellency Alhaji Balarabe Lawal, Federal Minister of the Environment of Nigeria and His Excellency Jules Doret Ndongo, Minister of Forestry and Wildlife of Cameroon sign a Memorandum of Understanding on the conservation of transborder ecosystems and the sustainable management of forest and wildlife resources along their common border of more than 1,500 km.
The Facilitation of the French and Gabonese Republics is pleased to launch a call for proposals to host side events during the 20th Meeting of the Parties (MOP20) in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, from 3-5 June 2024. In line with the themes of MOP20 of the CBFP, side events provide opportunities for information exchange, dialogue, cooperation and the creation of synergies between CBFP partners. Deadline for submissions: 19 April 2024. Applicants for selected proposals will be contacted on 30 April 2024.
The Co-Facilitation of the French and Gabonese Republics of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) is pleased to inform you that the "Signing Ceremony of the Framework Cooperation Agreement on the Conservation of Transboundary Ecosystems and Sustainable Management of Forest and Wildlife Resources between the Governments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of Cameroon" will take place on Friday 19 April 2024 at 10:00 am at the Continental Hotel in Abuja, Nigeria. In conjunction with this signing ceremony, a technical round table on the implementation of the framework cooperation agreement on the conservation of transboundary ecosystems and the sustainable management of forest and wildlife resources between Nigeria and Cameroon will be held at 12 noon on Thursday 18 April at the same hotel.
The Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC) is deeply saddened to announce the death of Mrs Sylvie Louisette NGO YEBEL Epse FOUNGA, Communications Expert of Cameroonian nationality, at the COMIFAC Executive Secretariat. She was murdered and her body found on Sunday 7 April 2024 at around 8.30 am in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
The CBFP Youth Forum and Meeting of Parties will take place from 31 May to 5 June 2024 in Kinshasa and will bring together more than 700 stakeholders committed to preserving the forests of the Congo Basin. The Meeting of Parties and the Youth Forum will be co-chaired by Ambassador Christophe Guilhou (France) and Ambassador Flore Koumba Pambo (Gabon) and the current President of COMIFAC, His Excellency Mr Prosper Dodiko, with the participation of senior representatives of the DRC.
CIDT wishes to recruit an enthusiastic, people-centred international development professional to join our dynamic, multidisciplinary team. To be considered for this post you will have an understanding and experience of global sustainable development work and be prepared to work both in UK and overseas. You will be qualified to master’s level in one or more of the following core areas of our work: Global Sustainable /International development/ Development Studies, Development Effectiveness, Gender and Social Inclusion, Sustainable Livelihoods, Natural Resource Management, Forest Governance or Education and Development and have expertise in the related fields.
This brief note sets out the principle of an ecological bonus-malus mechanism, designed to change behaviour by modifying the relative prices of products, while aiming for budget neutrality (no tax losses for the State). It applies in particular to the agricultural and forestry sectors, but can also be applied to other areas. We are currently working with various colleagues on the timber and cocoa sectors, and on an automated simulator with a user-friendly interface that can be easily used by government departments and their partners who would like to test the tool and, if necessary, implement it.
The Co-Facilitation of France and Gabon of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) is pleased to announce the selection of COMIFAC by the CBD Secretariat as a centre for technical and scientific cooperation for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Global Framework for Biodiversity in Central Africa. With the highest score in Africa, COMIFAC ranks 4th in the world. The co-facilitation congratulates COMIFAC on this major distinction.
On Tuesday 12 March 2024, from 16:30-18:00 CET, the first dialogue between the College of Donors and the Scientific and Academic College (SAC) of the CBFP was held in virtual form. Over 70 people participated actively in the dialogue. The aim of the meeting was to promote cooperation as well as scientific and academic dialogue on the forests of the Congo Basin as part of the implementation of strategic priority 1 of the 2023-2025 roadmap of the CBFP.
The Franco-Gabonese Co-Facilitation of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) organised the 13th meeting of the Governing Council of the CBFP by video conference on Tuesday 9 April 2024. Please, download the report...
Many countries have recently adopted bioenergy as part of a critical strategy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to meet targets under the Paris Climate Agreement. Because of increased efficiency and lower production costs, along with legislative support and investment incentives, bioenergy use is swiftly becoming a renewable energy substitute for fossil fuels. The study provides a better understanding of bioenergy issues, potential and sustainability to inform countries in the global South and provide guidance on integrating bioenergy into their national energy plans by proposing a simplified sustainability framework for wood-based bioenergy.
A workshop was held in Brazzaville on Thursday 7 March to review the work carried out by the communications agency Afrique Environnement Plus, attended by a dozen participants, including companies from the sector. The new website for the Congolese forest-wood industry (which will shortly be the subject of a dedicated article) and a communication checklist developed as part of the ASP Congo project were presented.
As part of the ASP Congo project, a series of videos gives a voice to companies committed to responsible forestry practices.This video, produced with the financial support of the European Union, shows what forestry companies are doing to ensure the safety of their employees and to manage their waste properly through their HSE (Health, Safety and Environment) policy. In this way, they are driving forward an economy that respects people and ecosystems.
As part of the ASP-Green Pact project, supported by the European Union and led by ATIBT, we are pleased to invite you to participate in a survey on trade relations with Cameroon, with a response deadline set for April 4th. This initiative aims to refine our understanding of current trade relations between European importers and Cameroonian producers, with a particular focus on lesser-known timber species (LKTS) from Cameroon. Furthermore, this approach is part of the preparations for the International Wood Fair (CIB) to be held in Nantes, offering an exceptional platform for enriching exchanges and partnership opportunities.
The International Day of Forests was established on the 21st day of March, by resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on November 28, 2013. Each year, various events celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests, and trees outside forests, for the benefit of current and future generations. The theme for International Day of Forests 2024 is Forests and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World. To mark International Forest Day 2024, several CBFP partners have organised special activities.
In honor of International Women’s Day, TOP AFRICA NEWS had the privilege of Interviewing Rwanda’s Minister of Environment on the important role of women in environmental conservation and sustainable development. Join us as we delve into the Minister’s insights and initiatives in empowering women to be leaders in protecting our planet for future generations.
Almost 90% of the world’s forest loss is driven by the expansion of agriculture, thanks to growing consumer demand for commodities like coffee, cocoa, beef, soy, palm oil and timber. Because of this, governments, businesses and NGOs are increasingly targeting action to reduce deforestation in this sector. Several markets are developing policies that prohibit the sale or importation of products grown on deforested land, while hundreds of consumer goods companies have made zero-deforestation pledges.
The institutions and training centres that are partners in the ADEFAC project are receiving support to better integrate continuing vocational training into their training routines.Following the initial organisational assessments carried out by andragogues consultants, the ADEFAC project's technical team took it upon itself to carry out organisational assessments of the vocational training institutions and/or technical teaching establishments that are partners in the project.
With 8 months to go before the European Union's new anti-deforestation regulation comes into force, where do we stand? What progress has been made, and what concerns and questions does the timber industry have at this stage?
WASHINGTON (March 18, 2024)—World Resources Institute is pleased to announce that Sharan Burrow, Visiting Professor, Grantham Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics; Johannes van de Ven, Managing Director, Good Energies and Board Chair, WRI Brasil; and Cecilia Martínez, Former Director, UN-Habitat and Board Chair WRI Mexico have joined its Global Board of Directors.