As the international community marks World Environment Day on 5 June and World Oceans Day on 8 June, one message stands out clearly: the future of our climate and the future of our oceans are inseparable.
This year's World Environment Day theme, #NowForClimate, reminds us that the planet is sending signals too hot to ignore. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events and growing pressure on natural resources underscore the urgency of accelerating solutions that can help build more resilient and sustainable societies.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, plastic pollution remains one of the most pressing environmental challenges. It affects communities, ecosystems and local economies, while placing additional pressure on coastal environments and marine resources that millions of people depend upon for their livelihoods.
At the same time, solutions are emerging at the city level.
Cities are uniquely positioned to drive change through policy, innovation and collaboration. By improving waste management systems, promoting circular business models and creating enabling regulatory frameworks, cities can reduce plastic pollution while advancing broader climate and sustainability goals.
The transition to a circular economy represents a concrete opportunity to accelerate climate action, reduce pressure on natural resources and strengthen resilience. Circular approaches help keep materials in use, improve resource efficiency and support more sustainable patterns of production and consumption.
Through the Circular Cities Beyond Plastics project, six coastal cities are leading this transition: Barranquilla and Cartagena in Colombia; Panama City and Colón in Panama; and Kingston and Montego Bay in Jamaica.
Working alongside local authorities, businesses and civil society organizations, and with support from implementation partners like @ANCON in Panama, @INVEMAR in Colombia and the Ministry of Water, Environment & Climate Change @MWECC in Jamaica, the project is accelerating circular actions that reduce plastic leakage into the environment and strengthen the foundations of a circular economy.
Through regional cooperation, knowledge exchange and innovation, these cities are demonstrating how local action can generate positive environmental, social and economic impacts at a broader scale.
As we mark World Environment Day and World Oceans Day, Circular Cities Beyond Plastics reaffirms its commitment to supporting cities as drivers of change and partners in the transition toward a more circular future.
Together, we can reduce pollution, keep materials in use and build more sustainable cities for future generations.
One Ocean. One Climate. One Future — Together.
The future is still in our hands. #NowForClimate
