G20 and Marine Plastic Waste

• 17 Jun 2019

The Group of 20 (G20) environment ministers, on 15^th June, 2019, agreed to adopt a new implementation framework for actions to tackle the issue of marine plastic waste on a global scale.

• The environment and the energy ministers of the G20 major economies met in Karuizawa, northwest of Tokyo, ahead of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan on 28th-29th June, 2019.
• The new framework is aimed at facilitating further concrete action on marine waste, though on a voluntary basis, after the G20 Hamburg Summit in Germany adopted the G20 Action Plan on Marine Litter in 2017.
• Under the new framework, G20 members will promote a comprehensive life-cycle approach to prevent and reduce plastic litter discharge to the oceans through various measures and international cooperation.
• The members will also share best practices, promote innovation and boost scientific monitoring and analytical methodologies.
• Japan may host the first meeting under the new framework at the time when officials of environment ministers in the G20 countries will meet for the G20 Resource Efficiency Dialogue.

The G20 Summit

• The G20 Summit is formally known as the Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy.
• The host country of the G20 summit leads the group over the course of one year from December through the following November as the G20 presidency.
• The G20 presidency also organizes relevant ministerial and working group meetings.
• It is the first time that Japan has taken on the G20 presidency.
• Over the years, the G20 summits have focused not only on macroeconomy and trade, but also on a wide range of global issues which have an immense impact on the global economy, such as development, climate change and energy, health, counter-terrorism, as well as migration and refugees.
• The G20 is a group of 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States) and the European Union.

The G20 Action Plan on Marine Litter

It includes seven high level policy principles:

• Promote the socio-economic benefits of establishing policies to prevent marine litter.
• Promote waste prevention and resource efficiency.
• Promote sustainable waste management.
• Promote effective wastewater treatment and storm water management.
• Raise awareness, promote education and research.
• Support removal and remediation activity.
• Strengthen the engagement of stakeholders.

The G20 Resource Efficiency Dialogue

• The G20 countries decided to establish a G20 Resource Efficiency Dialogue at the summit in Hamburg in 2017.
• The dialogue makes the efficient and sustainable use of natural resources a core element of the G20 talks.