Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Mains level: Plastic pollution;
Why in the News?
The Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), an initiative of the World Economic Forum, has reached a significant milestone by expanding its network to include 25 countries. This expansion introduces seven new members: Angola, Bangladesh, Gabon, Guatemala, Kenya, Senegal, and Tanzania, which together represent a population of more than 1.5 billion people.
What is the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP)?
What are the key components of GPAP?
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What is the significance of expanding GPAP to include seven new African countries?
- Strengthened Global Coalition: With this expansion, GPAP now encompasses 25 countries representing over 1.5 billion people, making it the largest global initiative focused on combating plastic pollution.
- Addressing Urgent Environmental Challenges: The inclusion of these countries underscores a growing recognition of the urgent need to tackle plastic pollution, which poses severe threats to ecosystems, biodiversity, and human health.
- Fostering Regional Collaboration: The addition of new African countries facilitates regional collaboration and knowledge sharing on best practices for waste management and recycling.
- Economic Growth and Job Creation: GPAP’s initiatives are expected to stimulate economic growth through the promotion of sustainable materials and recycling infrastructure.
- Commitment to Circular Economy Principles: The expansion reflects a commitment to advancing circular economy principles, which focus on reusing and recycling plastics rather than relying on single-use materials.
What are the anticipated environmental and economic impacts of GPAP’s initiatives?
- Decreased Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The initiative targets a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastic production and waste management, which currently accounts for an estimated 1.8 billion tonnes annually. By promoting a circular economy, GPAP aims to mitigate emissions, particularly methane from landfills.
- By implementing National Action Roadmaps, the partnership seeks to reduce annual land-based plastic leakage by approximately 80% by 2040 compared to business-as-usual scenarios.
- By transitioning to a circular economy model, GPAP initiatives can help countries recover lost economic value from plastics, estimated at $80 billion to $120 billion annually due to inefficiencies in current systems.
- Job Creation: GPAP’s efforts in developing sustainable waste management practices are expected to create significant employment opportunities, potentially generating up to 6 million green jobs globally by 2030. This includes safer jobs for informal waste workers who play a crucial role in recycling and waste management.
- Investment Mobilization: The partnership has already mobilized substantial investments, such as $3.1 billion, aimed at supporting projects that tackle plastic waste. This influx of capital can stimulate local economies and drive innovation in sustainable materials and recycling technologies.
Way forward:
- Strengthen Policy Frameworks and Partnerships: Collaborate with governments, private sectors, and civil society to establish robust policies to enforce regulations and promote extended producer responsibility (EPR) frameworks to drive systemic change.
- Enhance Innovation and Infrastructure: Invest in advanced recycling technologies for scalable waste management infrastructure and research to develop sustainable alternatives, fostering a circular economy while creating green jobs and reducing plastic pollution.
Prelims PYQ:
In India, ‘extended producer responsibility’ was introduced as an important feature in which of the following ? (UPSC IAS/2019)
(a) The Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998
(b) The Recycled Plastic (Manufacturing and Usage) Rules, 1999
(c) The e-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011
(d) The Food Safety and Standard Regulations, 2011
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