May 14, 2025 , 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm EST
Plastic pollution and climate change are two major environmental issues that affect ecosystem health, the economy, and humankind. Plastics affect the climate in multiple ways, yet we have limited data and significant data gaps. This event will address what we know and don’t know, and is especially timely in the lead-up to two pivotal global events: UN World Environment Day, this year themed “Reducing Plastic Pollution,” and the next round of UN negotiations on a Global Plastics Treaty, in August 2025.
A systematic review of available knowledge, recently published in Frontiers in Environmental Science, and a summary report for non-technical audiences aim to answer this critical question: How do plastics impact climate through three major mechanisms–emissions of greenhouse gases across the plastics lifecycle, interference with Earth’s carbon sinks, and interference with Earth’s radiation budget?
Join The Plastics & Climate Project and WRI on May 14 for answers to this question and a discussion of the research, policies, and actions needed to fully account for plastics’ climate impacts and determine plastics’ true influence on global temperature rise, including decarbonizing the plastics lifecycle.
Speakers:
Monica Medina, Arnhold Distinguished Fellow, Conservation International
Holly Kaufman, Co-founder & Project Director, The Plastics & Climate Project
Dr. Alice (Xia) Zhu, Co-founder & Research Director, The Plastics & Climate Project
Dr. Jo Banner, Co-Founder & Co-Director, The Descendants Project
Zach Byrum, Research Associate for Industrial Decarbonization, World Resources Institute
Dr. Sweta Chakraborty, CEO, We Don’t Have Time North America
John Doherty, Science and Policy Analyst, Environmental Law Institute
