A global treaty with a harmonised approach is the most effective way to tackle plastic pollution, reducing global mismanaged plastic waste by more than half and unlocking greater value for businesses, our countries and our communities.
It will mobilise investment, scale solutions, and spark innovation.
Since the start of the negotiations, the +300 global businesses, financial institutions and NGOs part of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, have advocated for harmonised regulations, on the basis that they will deliver the most effective solution to address plastic pollution, while simultaneously creating value for all stakeholders involved.
To explore this further, we commissioned Systemiq* in 2025 to develop a modelling study on the economic impacts for Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and South Africa. The study is a comparison of a scenario with harmonised regulations for all parties to the agreement on key elements – phase-outs / eliminations (Article 3), product and system design (Article 5), and extended producer responsibility (Article 8) – with a more voluntary approach, in which each party would decide on their own measures to address plastic waste and pollution.
The study found that harmonised regulations on these key elements would bring benefits both globally and at a national level. Explore the modelling exercise and the methodology below.
A global treaty with a harmonised approach is the most effective way to tackle plastic pollution, reducing global mismanaged plastic waste by more than half and unlocking greater value for businesses, our countries and our communities.
It will mobilise investment, scale solutions, and spark innovation.
Since the start of the negotiations, the +300 global businesses, financial institutions and NGOs part of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, have advocated for harmonised regulations, on the basis that they will deliver the most effective solution to address plastic pollution, while simultaneously creating value for all stakeholders involved.
To explore this further, we commissioned Systemiq* in 2025 to develop a modelling study on the economic impacts for Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and South Africa. The study is a comparison of a scenario with harmonised regulations for all parties to the agreement on key elements – phase-outs / eliminations (Article 3), product and system design (Article 5), and extended producer responsibility (Article 8) – with a more voluntary approach, in which each party would decide on their own measures to address plastic waste and pollution.
The study found that harmonised regulations on these key elements would bring benefits both globally and at a national level. Explore the modelling exercise and the methodology below.
