Finance
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged a global effort to minimize plastic pollution.
The UN Secretary-General made the request in a video message on Monday at a World Environment Day ceremony at the UN headquarters in New York, Xinhua reported.
“Solutions to Plastic Pollution” was the theme for this year.
Over 400 million tons of plastic are produced worldwide each year, with one-third of it being used only once. According to Guterres, the equivalent of nearly 2,000 waste trucks full of plastic are dumped into oceans, rivers, and lakes every day.
“The consequences are catastrophic. Microplastics find their way into the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe,” he said. “Plastic is made from fossil fuels. The more plastic we produce, the more fossil fuel we burn, and the worse we make the climate crisis.”
But, there are solutions, said Guterres.
Last year, the international community began negotiating a legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution, which is a promising first step, he said. “A new report by the UN Environment Programme shows that we can reduce plastic pollution by 80 percent by 2040 if we act now to reuse, recycle, reorient, and diversify away from plastics.”
Guterres called for concerted action. “We must work as one — governments, companies, and consumers alike — to break our addiction to plastics, champion zero waste, and build a truly circular economy. Together, let us shape a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for all,” he said.
Source:OCN
