Your Excellency Lee Byounghwa, Environment Vice-Minister of the Republic of Korea,
Your Excellency Myong Kee Jin, Vice Governor of Jeju Province,
Excellencies, colleagues and friends.
My deepest thanks to the Republic of Korea for hosting World Environment Day which this year seeks to mobilize action on beating plastic pollution.
I am pleased to be here on Jeju Island, known for its stunning volcanic landscapes and unique culture of the Haenyeo – women of the sea. There could be no more beautiful or appropriate place to hold World Environment Day 2025, given the threat that plastic pollution poses to the ocean and to island communities.
The Republic of Korea is, of course, a leader on environmental action. National policies and decisive action have resulted in cleaner air and water, higher recycling rates and a better quality of life.
This is also the second time the Republic of Korea has hosted World Environment Day since celebrations began in 1973, presenting an opportunity for this great nation to renew its commitment to accelerate global action on environmental challenges.
Excellencies,
Plastic does have a role to play in our societies. But the way we produce, use and discard many plastics has swamped the world in pollution. Every year 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste leaks into aquatic ecosystems, polluting lakes, rivers and seas. 13 million tonnes of plastics accumulate in soil.
The harm to species, ecosystems and economies is clear. Lost income from tourism. Polluted beaches and rivers that need to be cleaned up. Clogged drains that exacerbate flooding. And questions are growing over the human health implications. Microplastics are increasingly being found in the arteries, lungs, brains, placenta and breast milk of people – where they simply do not belong.
Ending plastic pollution is clearly a human health, planetary health, economic health and business health imperative.
And ending plastic pollution is possible. But we cannot lean solely on recycling. Only by tackling the full life cycle, as well as using circular approaches, can we ensure that plastic pollution stays out of our oceans, our soils, and our bodies. This means a complete rethink of how we design, make, use and reuse plastics.
Products should be designed to be used multiple times, and to be economically recyclable at the end of their life without exposing anyone to harmful chemicals. We need to tackle the lifecycle of plastics, enable the deployment of alternatives and stop plastic pollution leaking into the environment. Refill and reuse systems must become far more prevalent. We must encourage the private sector to innovate, take responsibility and finance an end to plastic pollution.
Crucially, we must ensure a just transition to protect the lives and livelihoods of the many people involved in the plastics industry, particularly waste pickers and poor communities who currently are often forced to rely on products delivered in single-use packaging.
Excellencies,
The world is already moving closer to ending plastic pollution. Over 90 countries have put in place restrictions on, for example, single-use plastic bags. Multiple reuse pilots around the world are allowing us to imagine a different and more circular future. Many nations are looking at regulations to incentivize design so that products and packaging are reusable.
And, in 2022, at the UN Environment Assembly, the nations of the world kick-started negotiations on an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. The last round of negotiations in Busan, Republic of Korea, made progress. Negotiators are preparing for the resumed fifth session of talks to begin in Geneva, Switzerland, this August.
Excellencies,
As global momentum grows, we have a real chance to safeguard human and environmental health from plastic pollution. This will take work, but the rewards of success will be plentiful: cleaner oceans and lands, healthier people and ecosystems, greater climate resilience, and new job and business opportunities.
Governments and businesses have a key leadership role to play, through investment and innovation in new approaches. But we can all contribute. The choices we make can help shape industries, shift markets and redefine our collective future. So, on World Environment Day, let us all pledge to do what we can to end plastic pollution.
