Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

The Prospects of an International Treaty on Plastic Pollution

This analysis examines the proposed elements of a legally binding international treaty on plastic pollution, reviewing negotiations launched by the UN Environment Assembly in March 2022 and outlining the key legal and governance challenges in developing a comprehensive global plastics agreement.

2022 The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Reflections on Japan’s participation in negotiations of the global plastic pollution instrument under international environmental law

This legal analysis examines Japan's position in international negotiations toward a global plastics treaty, finding that Japan supports a binding instrument but takes a conservative approach that prioritizes existing domestic frameworks. While not an empirical study, it is relevant to the broader microplastics issue because international policy to reduce plastic production and waste is essential for curbing the microplastic contamination that threatens marine ecosystems and human health.

2023 Frontiers in Marine Science 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Advancing the international regulation of plastic pollution beyond the United Nations Environment Assembly resolution on marine litter and microplastics

This legal paper reviews international frameworks relevant to plastic pollution and argues for a binding global agreement specifically targeting plastic pollution, beyond existing resolutions. A comprehensive international treaty is increasingly seen as necessary to meaningfully reduce plastic pollution, including microplastics.

2018 Review of European Comparative & International Environmental Law 78 citations
Article Tier 2

An International Legal Framework for Marine Plastics Pollution

This legal analysis reviews the current international framework for regulating marine plastics and identifies significant gaps and inconsistencies across treaties and agreements. The chapter argues that stronger, more unified global legal instruments are needed to effectively reduce plastic pollution in the world's oceans.

2023 Cambridge University Press eBooks 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Crafting a global plastics treaty

This book chapter critically analyzes international negotiations toward a global plastics treaty, noting that the UN Environmental Assembly has been working toward a legally binding instrument since 2014. A strong global plastics treaty is considered essential for halting the growing accumulation of microplastics throughout the environment.

2023 Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks
Article Tier 2

International treaties, national laws, and best legal practices for addressing plastic pollution in the oceans

This thesis examines plastic pollution in the world's oceans through the lens of international treaties, national laws, and social dynamics, evaluating the effectiveness of existing legal frameworks and best practices for addressing the growing crisis of marine plastic contamination.

2025
Article Tier 2

Combating plastic pollution in international law: lex lata and lex ferenda

This paper examines the current state of international law addressing plastic pollution, analyzing both existing legal frameworks and proposed future regulations. The study highlights that global plastic production has surged to 390 million tons annually with only 9% recycled, underscoring the urgent need for a comprehensive international treaty.

2024 Moscow Journal of International Law 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Challenges for Regulation and Management of Microplastic in Environment and Proposed Changes

This review examines failures in international law and national regulations to adequately address microplastic pollution in water bodies, arguing that recent treaty negotiations have been insufficient and proposing regulatory changes to better manage microplastics in the environment.

2025
Article Tier 2

Addressing Microplastic Pollution via the Global Plastic Treaty

This paper discusses the role of the global plastic treaty in addressing microplastic pollution, evaluating policy mechanisms, international governance challenges, and the scientific evidence needed to support binding reduction targets.

2024 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository 1 citations
Article Tier 2

On the Challenge of Plastic Wastes and Litter in Oceans: Some Policy Reflections

This policy analysis discusses the growing crisis of plastic litter in the world's oceans, reviewing international agreements and national policies aimed at reducing ocean plastic pollution. The authors argue that current policy efforts fall far short of what is needed and propose stronger global governance frameworks.

2021 Environmental Policy and Law
Article Tier 2

Legal Approaches to Reduce Plastic Marine Pollution: Challenges and Global Governance

This review examined legal approaches to reducing marine plastic pollution and found that while international frameworks like the International Maritime Organization's MARPOL Annex V and regional agreements provide useful foundations, significant governance gaps and enforcement challenges remain in addressing the global scale of marine plastic contamination.

2021 ANNALS OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND PERSPECTIVE 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Fish Don't Litter in Your House: Is International Law the Solution to the Plastic Pollution Problem?

This legal analysis examines whether existing international law is adequate to address ocean plastic pollution, critiquing current binding and non-binding environmental agreements and proposing improvements. Stronger international legal frameworks are seen as essential for reducing the global plastic waste that breaks down into microplastics in the world's oceans.

2020 Pace international law review 3 citations
Review Tier 2

What Shall We Do With a Sea of Plastics? A Systematic Literature Review on How to Pave the Road Toward a Global Comprehensive Plastic Governance Agreement

A systematic literature review of 64 peer-reviewed articles analyzed what a successful global plastic governance agreement would require, identifying key elements including binding reduction targets, extended producer responsibility, and a lifecycle approach that addresses plastic from production through disposal.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Author Correction: Insights from international environmental legislation and protocols for the global plastic treaty

Researchers reviewed lessons from past international environmental treaties to guide the upcoming global plastic agreement, finding that environmental harm has historically driven regulations more than human health concerns, and that the availability of plastic substitutes will be key to successfully reducing plastic pollution worldwide.

2024 Scientific Reports
Article Tier 2

Marine Plastic Monitoring, Assessment, and Policy

This review covers the current state of marine plastic monitoring systems, assessment frameworks, and policy instruments globally, examining data collection methods, international agreements, and gaps in enforcement. The authors highlight that inconsistent monitoring protocols and lack of binding global treaty mechanisms remain critical barriers to effective marine plastic governance.

2025
Article Tier 2

Solving the Plastics Crisis in New Zealand: The need for domestic regulation as well as a global treaty

This review examines New Zealand's current plastic pollution regulations and finds them insufficient to address the plastics crisis, arguing that an effective solution requires a circular economy approach regulating the entire plastic lifecycle — from upstream production and design to downstream recycling and biodegradation — supported by both domestic legislation and a binding global treaty.

2022
Article Tier 2

The United Nations Basel Convention’s Global Plastic Waste Partnership: History, Evolution and Progress

This review traces the history and evolution of the UN Basel Convention's Global Plastic Waste Partnership, examining how international cooperation on plastic pollution governance has developed over time. Global regulatory frameworks are essential for addressing plastic pollution that moves across borders through ocean currents and trade.

2021 Environmental contamination remediation and management 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Humanity is being driven ashore : a juridical and political essay on marine plastic pollution

This essay examines the legal and political dimensions of marine plastic pollution, reviewing international agreements and their limitations in curbing the flow of plastic waste into oceans. It argues that stronger global governance frameworks are needed to protect marine environments from plastic contamination.

2019 Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT)
Article Tier 2

International Water Law’s Role in Addressing the Problem of Marine Plastic Pollution: A Vital Piece in a Complex Puzzle!

This legal analysis examined the role of international water law in addressing marine plastic pollution, arguing that existing water governance frameworks have largely overlooked plastics as a water resource management problem. The author advocates for integrating plastic pollution controls into international water law instruments.

2022 Chinese Journal of Environmental Law 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Explore the Impact of Marine Plastic Pollution and Countermeasures

This paper reviewed the scope of marine plastic pollution, its distribution across ocean ecosystems, and its socioeconomic effects on coastal communities, finding that existing international agreements and waste management efforts remain insufficient to address the scale of the problem.

2025 MATEC Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Sustentabilidade: Materiais Plásticos, O Great Pacific Garbage Patch E Propostas Sustentáveis No Contexto Da Globalização Contemporânea

This Brazilian Portuguese legal and policy review analyzes international and domestic sustainability proposals around plastic pollution, including the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and European single-use plastic regulations. The author argues that no effective global plastic elimination program is possible without coordinated non-state institutional frameworks and enforcement mechanisms.

2021 Revista Eletrônica Direito e Política
Article Tier 2

Scientific challenges of plastic pollution treaty

This review examines the scientific challenges surrounding the development of an international legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, as called for by UNEA Resolution 5/14, highlighting gaps in terminology, polymer science knowledge, and cross-disciplinary collaboration needed to address marine plastic waste effectively.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Dilemma in global governance of marine plastic pollution and regulatory coordination: convention reconstruction via integrated international law

This legal analysis examined fragmented international governance of marine plastic pollution across 17 instruments including UNCLOS, MARPOL, and regional conventions, identifying a gap between soft law priorities and binding enforcement for microplastics. The authors proposed an integrated umbrella convention framework with specialized protocols to align the Global Plastic Treaty with existing agreements and establish enforceable plastic production caps.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Ocean plastics and the BBNJ treaty—is plastic frightening enough to insert itself into the BBNJ treaty, or do we need to wait for a treaty of its own?

This legal paper examines whether plastic pollution is serious enough to be included in a proposed international treaty on biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, or whether it requires its own dedicated treaty. Effective international governance is considered essential to meaningfully address global ocean plastic pollution.

2018 Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences 55 citations