You are invited to a briefing event hosted by the journal Cambridge Prisms: Plastics, which is published by Cambridge University Press.
Date: 24 July 2025
Time: 2 pm (BST) / 9 am (EDT)
Platform: Zoom
Access Link: https://cup.org/4kJTxWn
RSVP Contact: Rosalind Moran, press@cambridge.org
As the world prepares for the final round of negotiations on a legally binding global plastics treaty (INC-5.2), from 5-14 August 2025, over 60 academic experts have stepped forward to outline exactly what they believe the treaty must include, and why this moment is a potential turning point in environmental policy.
Cambridge Prisms: Plastics publishes leading research that directly explores the urgent and major societal challenges posed by plastics and examines possible solutions.
The journal has convened this event as a rare and urgent intervention, launching a collection of open letters from leading scientists across disciplines and continents into the debate over what could become the most significant global environmental agreement since the Paris Climate Accord.
The authors are not merely pointing to the problem. They are offering clear, evidence-based, and solutions-driven recommendations on everything from human health impacts and toxic chemical regulation to production caps and the structural inclusion of affected communities.
In Brief:
- Who? A panel of five plastics expert scientists, chaired by Professor Steve Fletcher, Editor-in-Chief of Cambridge Prisms: Plastics and Director of the Revolution Plastics Institute
- What? A major academic intervention in the Global Plastics Treaty process - solution-focused, justice-oriented, and backed by rigorous evidence.
- Why now? INC-5.2 in August represents the world’s final opportunity to secure a legally binding plastics treaty, or risk failure due to industry influence and political delay.
The confirmed speakers:
- Professor Maria Ivanova is Director of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University in the US and a globally recognised expert in international environmental governance. She brings deep insight into the role of trade, diplomacy, and institutional design in building effective global treaties.
- Professor Max Liboiron is a leading thinker on Indigenous science and environmental justice. Based at Memorial University in Canada, their work challenges extractive approaches to research and policy, and champions governance models rooted in Indigenous rights and sovereignty.
- Professor Cressida Bowyer is Deputy Director of the Revolution Plastics Institute at the University of Portsmouth. Her research focuses on the intersections of plastic pollution, human health, and environmental justice, with an emphasis on arts-based engagement and inclusive policymaking.
- Professor Tony Walker is an environmental scientist at Dalhousie University in Canada, with deep expertise in microplastics, plastic pollution, and the circular economy. His work interrogates the structural drivers of the linear plastics system and identifies pathways for systemic transition.
- Professor Susanne Brander is an ecotoxicologist at Oregon State University. Her research explores the impacts of micro- and nanoplastics and plastic-associated chemicals on human and ecological health. She is a strong advocate for stronger global controls on hazardous chemicals in plastics.
What the briefing will cover:
- A shift in focus to human health: New evidence makes clear that plastic pollution is not just an environmental crisis, but a public health emergency - with microplastics and toxic chemicals linked to cancers, reproductive issues, and more.
- A just and inclusive treaty: The scientists call for meaningful inclusion of Indigenous Peoples, waste workers, and frontline communities.
- Safeguarding scientific integrity: Academics are calling for an independent science advisory body to ensure evidence-based decisions, free from corporate influence and greenwashing.
- High ambition vs delay: The letters call out the blocking tactics of low-ambition nations and propose flexible mechanisms so coalitions of ambitious countries can move forward, supported by proper finance and compliance tools.
- The urgency for binding action: Voluntary, fragmented approaches have failed. Scientists are demanding enforceable measures across the entire plastic lifecycle – from fossil fuel extraction to toxic additives and waste.
The authors will focus on:
- The role of Indigenous Peoples in the global plastics treaty
- How the global plastics treaty should address atmospheric microplastics
- The role of trade in managing plastic pollution and in the global plastics treaty
- The regulation of chemicals in the global plastic treaty
- How will the implementation of the global plastics treaty will be financed
- The implications of the global plastics treaty for agriculture and food safety
What’s new?
- INC-5.2 is the last scheduled meeting after a stalled process – and now, more than 100 countries are backing a strong, ambitious treaty.
- The academic community is united, vocal, and ready with concrete, science-backed proposals – not just warnings.
- This is a rare moment where academic voices are breaking through the noise to be heard at the centre of a global policymaking process.
These letters represent the scientific community’s clearest, boldest call yet for what the treaty must deliver. The future of plastics governance and our health, ecosystems, and climate, hangs in the balance.
To join the briefing
The briefing will be held on Zoom. Register via the following link: https://cup.org/4kJTxWn
You can pre-submit any questions on the registration form.
If you cannot attend, please register to receive a recording of the briefing.