• Overview
  • Programme
  • Event Summary

Date: Friday, 26 May 2023         Time: 09:00 am - 12:00 pm Central European Time (CEST)

Format: in-person event with livestreaming at this link

Location: Paris, France and online (register here)

Language: English and French (in person) / English (online)

Description

Our planet is choking on plastics. The problem of plastic pollution is particularly acute in urban areas, where high population densities and concentrated economic activity generate significant amounts of consumption and waste. 75% of the total plastic waste generation comes from municipal solid waste streams, much of it will end up in landfills, waterways, and the ocean, and significantly contribute to climate change.

Recognizing the positive global impact of a circular economy for plastic and the need for common guidelines to end the plastic pollution crisis, the UN Environment Assembly adopted in March 2022 a landmark resolution titled “End Plastic Pollution: Towards an international legally binding instrument”. An Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) was set up and met for the first time in December 2022. The second session of the INC will be held in Paris, France, from 29 May to 2 June 2023. 

To mark this occasion and contribute to this important process, the City of Paris, with support from UNEP, is organising its first International Forum to End Plastic Pollution in Cities on Friday 26 May (09:00 to 12:00 CET). 

This Forum will gather mayors from every continent, scientists, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Intergovernmental Organisations and philanthropies committed to fight plastic pollution for a day of exchanges on solutions to minimise the impact of plastics on the planet.

Date: Friday, 26 May 2023         Time: 09:00 am - 12:00 pm Central European Time (CEST)

Full Programme

8h30 - 9h : Café et bienvenue / Welcome & coffee

9h - 9h15: Discours d’ouverture : Anne Hidalgo, Maire de Paris

Discours d’introduction : Inger Andersen, Secrétaire générale adjointe de l’Organisation des Nations Unies et Directrice Exécutive du Programme des Nations Unies pour l’Environnement

Welcome speech: Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris

Introduction speech: Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme

9h15 - 9h25 : Discours : Bethanie Carney Almroth et Trisia Farrelly de la Coalition des scientifiques pour un traité efficace sur les plastiques / Keynote: Bethanie Carney Almroth and Trisia Farrelly of The scientists’ coalition for an effective plastics treaty

9h25 - 10h10 : La pollution plastique urbaine et ses impacts / Urban plastic pollution and its impacts

Introduction : Femke Halsema, Maire d’Amsterdam, Pays-Bas / Mayor of Amsterdam, Netherlands

Modérateur / moderator : Romain Troublé, Directeur exécutif de la Fondation Tara Ocean / Executive Director of the Tara Ocean Foundation

Intervenants / Speakers :

  • Bima Arya Sugiarto, Maire de Bogor, Indonésie / Mayor of Bogor, Indonesia
  • Errick D. Simmons, Maire de Greenville, Mississipi, États-Unis / Mayor of Greenville, Mississipi, US
  • Fatimetou Abdel Malick, Présidente du Conseil Régional de Nouakchott, Mauritanie / President of the Regional Council of Nouakchott, Mauritania

10h10 - 10h25 : Pause café / Coffee break

10h25 - 11h10 : L’innovation locale pour vaincre la crise mondiale du plastique / Local innovation to beat the global plastic crisis

Introduction : Michèle Boisvert, Déléguée générale du Québec à Paris, Canada / General delegate of Québec in Paris, Canada

Modérateur / moderator : Kobie Brand, Secrétaire générale adjointe, ICLEI / Deputy Secretary General, ICLEI

Intervenants / Speakers :

  • Joy Belmonte, Maire de Quezon City, Philippines / Mayor of Quezon City, Philippines
  • Pratistha Mamgain, Commissaire d’Ambikapur, Inde / Commissioner of Ambikapur, India
  • Nabila Rmili, Maire de Casablanca, Maroc / Mayor of Casablanca, Morocco

11h10 - 11h25 : Le réemploi dans la ville / Reuse from a city-perspective

Modérateur / moderator : Nathan Dufour, responsable des systèmes de réutilisation, chef du projet ReuSe Vanguard (RSVP), Zero Waste Europe / Reuse Systems Manager, Lead of the ReuSe Vanguard Project (RSVP), Zero Waste Europe

Intervenants / Speakers :

  • Minna Arve, Maire de Turku, Finlande / Mayor of Turku, Finland
  • Marcos Liborio, Secrétaire à l’environnement de Santos, Brésil / Secretary for Environment of Santos, Brazil

11h25 - 11h45 : Le réemploi, une solution primordiale pour résoudre la question des plastiques / Reuse, a fundamental solution to resolve the plastic issue

Modérateur / moderator : Kristin Hughes, Directrice, Global Plastic Action Partnership,Membre du comité exécutif, World Economic Forum / Director, Global Plastic Action Partnership, Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum

Intervenants / Speakers :

  • Erin Simon, vice-présidente et responsable des déchets plastiques et des affaires, World Wildlife Fund / Vice President and Head of Plastic Waste and Business, World Wildlife Fund
  • Betty Osei Bonsu, Directrice nationale, Green Africa Youth Organization, Ouganda / Country Manager, Green Africa Youth Organization, Uganda
  • Amy Larkin, Fondatrice et directrice de PR3 / Founder and Director of PR3

11h45 - 12h : Discours de clôture / Closing speech

Intervenants / Speakers :

  • Manuel Pulgar Vidal, Responsable mondial, Climat et énergie, WWF-International / Global Leader, Climate & Energy, WWF-International  

12h - 13h : Cocktail déjeunatoire / Lunch cocktail

 

Event Summary 

Mayor of Paris & UNEP ED

Inger Anderson, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, and Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, meeting shortly before the End Plastic Pollution Forum in Paris.

As worldwide plastic pollution continues to rise, mayors from every continent, scientists, NGOs, Intergovernmental Organisations and philanthropies gathered in Paris to exchange solutions to reduce the impact of plastics on the planet.

The International Forum to End Plastic Pollution in Cities organized by the City of Paris and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), ahead of the second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2) shed light on local solutions to beat the plastic crises and the crucial role of cities in ending plastic pollution.

Click here to read the event summary.