Addressing plastic pollution on a global scale
Addressing the complex issue of plastic pollution requires a strong international framework and a regional focus on domestic implementation
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Many countries have policies and regulations around the use of plastic. But without an international framework on addressing plastic pollution, these efforts may remain fragmented. In 2022, the United Nations (UN) Environment Assembly voted to develop a global and legally binding treaty to reduce plastic pollution, which is currently under negotiation.
Beatriz Garcia, associate professor in the Department of Law, Economics and Management at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, explains that many effective policies on plastic pollution operate on a national level. “For example, in the United Arab Emirates, we have a federal law on integrated waste management. While the federal law sets the foundation, it’s up to each emirate to issue its own regulations and policies,” Garcia says.
This framework has been effective. Since a ban on plastic bags was introduced in Abu Dhabi in 2022, approximately 2,400 tonnes of plastic have been prevented from being used, says Garcia. However, a ban is just one aspect of addressing a bigger and complex problem. “We need changes in how things are produced, to look at alternatives and consider waste management processes. This takes a more structural approach,” she says.
At an international level, there are marked differences between different nations’ approaches to waste management, says Garcia. The UN Sustainable Development Goals offer an aspiration but can only provide guidance. “This can only set a global direction of where things should be heading and can’t do much in terms of imposing obligations,” she says.
Garcia believes that the focus of the new treaty should be on how policies are implemented on a national level. “The treaty could impose obligations on states to implement domestic measures for reducing plastic production, improve waste management and adopt laws that introduce changes to product design and disposal,” she says. “Secondly, it would help us monitor what is happening and whether countries are implementing the policies and how effective they are.”
Sustainability is one of the five pillars of Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi’s strategic plan between 2024 and 2028, and involvement in the national and global development of policies around climate change is a priority for the institution.
In 2023, the university launched its Institute for Oceans at COP28 as part of its commitment to strengthening ocean science research in the region. In 2025, the university collaborated with Abu Dhabi’s Environment Agency to launch the first large-scale survey on household waste in the city. The survey will contribute to shaping future waste management policies and initiatives in Abu Dhabi, supporting the behavioural change needed to move the dial on plastic pollution, she concludes.
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