Amidst the escalating global plastic pollution crisis, an effective and binding international plastics treaty is in the spotlight as a potential solution. This was discussed in the webinar "Towards a UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution: Collaborative Action to Drive Policy Change and Transition to a Circular Economy" on Wednesday 14 November.
The event, organised by EuroCham Indonesia together with the Business Coalition for a Global Plastic Treaty (BCGPT), featured speakers such as Carsten Wachholz (Plastic Policy Lead, Ellen MacArthur Foundation), Karyanto Wibowo (EuroCham Sustainable Development Working Group), Muhammad Abdul Aziz Ramdhani (Ministry of Industry) and Fajri Fadillah (ICEL), with moderator Angeline Callista from Sirsak.co.
The webinar highlighted the importance of an international agreement on plastic pollution through the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to promote more responsible plastic waste management and accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
During the discussion, Carsten Wachholz of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, who also co-leads the BCGPT Secretariat, underlined the importance of a collective ambition to achieve an effective global plastics treaty for businesses, companies and financial institutions.
While acknowledging the need to tailor policies to national circumstances, he advocated a harmonised approach to create a robust global policy. Through the BCGPT, he urged the private sector to demonstrate strong political will to enable governments to accelerate their efforts to tackle plastic pollution while promoting a shift towards a circular economy.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Abdul Aziz Ramdhani of the Ministry of Industries highlighted the critical role of the manufacturing sector, particularly petrochemicals, in supporting national economic growth through increased investment, production and use of plastics for the domestic market. He emphasised the need to apply circular economy principles from the upstream level, focusing on environmentally friendly materials and design, and to develop a national action plan involving various sectors.
To support a global plastics treaty, he noted that synergy between the government, private sector, start-ups and informal sector is essential for effective plastic waste management after INC-5.
Karyanto Wibowo, from the EuroCham Sustainable Development Working Group, also stressed the importance of collaboration between the business sector and the government in supporting Indonesia's path to INC-5, with the hope that the Plastics Treaty will align global policies and strategies. He suggested reducing the use of virgin plastic to promote a circular economy, reduce industry dependency and tackle plastic pollution.
Karyanto also stated that the industry is open to dialogue with government to ensure that the outcomes of INC-5 are inclusive and result in fair policies. He expressed hope that a global plastics treaty will lead to practical solutions, with the business sector committed to transforming business models to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
Fajri Fadillah, from the Indonesian Centre for Environmental Law (ICEL), stressed the importance of focusing on the upstream aspects of the plastic life cycle, in particular plastic production, and ensuring inclusivity in a just transition. He also called for strengthening dialogue with waste management stakeholders and widening access to discussions on plastic reduction.
Fajri stressed the need for the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) in the implementation of the Global Plastics Treaty, with clear targets and strict controls on the production of virgin plastics. He expressed hope that the treaty will address the impact of plastic pollution on the climate crisis and biodiversity, and encourage more ambitious policies to accelerate global action.
