Andrew Morlet, CEO of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, has signed a joint letter to the Biden Administration calling for accelerated action to address plastic pollution.
The letter was sent to the U.S. President on the 8th of February 2024, and was signed, alongside the Foundation, by the World Wildlife Fund US as well as several other noted Nonprofits and Foundations.
It highlights the Biden Administration’s leadership on the issue of plastic waste and pollution, including its role in the ongoing negotiations to forge an international agreement on plastic pollution by the end of 2024 - and emphasises that continued U.S. leadership is critical to its success.
"This is a critical moment for ambitious action on plastic pollution, with plastic waste flowing into the ocean - from land-based sources alone - at 11 million metric tons and exponentially growing,” comments Danielle Holly, the Foundation’s North America Lead. “The U.S. has a historic opportunity to more deeply influence international and cross-sector efforts to combat pollution through presidential leadership and whole-of-government action. We encourage President Biden to set binding national goals and support international cooperation to reduce plastic pollution and advance the transition to a circular economycircular economyA systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. It is based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature.."
The letter is published ahead of the fourth round of negotiations for a UN treaty to end plastic pollution in April 2024 in Ottawa, Canada (also known as INC-4). This phase of the negotiations marks an important milestone in the process, as Government delegations including the US, will be coming together to negotiate on an expanded treaty text.
