In a Policy Forum, Chad Nelson and colleagues highlight the efforts of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in advancing alternative methods to reduce animal testing for regulatory use. Animal studies have been crucial for advancing disease understanding, developing therapies, and assessing the safety and effectiveness of consumer products. However, reducing animal use and developing effective alternatives is an ongoing priority. Although advances in biology, engineering, and artificial intelligence offer new opportunities to improve product safety assessments, these technologies require extensive development to meet regulatory standards. According to Nelson et al., the FDA is working to advance alternative methods – new approach methodologies (NAMs) – that improve the safety, risk, and efficacy understanding of regulated products while reducing animal use. Here, the authors highlight these efforts. Over the years, the FDA has advanced NAMs, such as in vitro ocular irritation tests, which have replaced traditional rabbit testing. The FDA has also advanced the use of computational models to assess drug safety. Additionally, the agency has developed qualification programs to evaluate and validate these alternative methods for regulatory use, ensuring their effectiveness in making regulatory decisions. The FDA encourages innovation through programs like ISTAND, which supports new tools like organ-on-a-chip technologies. Nelson et al. argue that by collaborating with stakeholders, hosting workshops, and conducting its own research, the FDA continues to lead efforts in validating and adopting alternative methods that reduce reliance on animal testing.

Without intervention, global plastic waste could double by 2050, a new machine learning study predicts. However, according to simulations by the study’s authors, a mix of policy interventions could cut plastic waste by more than 90% and it could cut plastics-related emissions by a third. With UN treaty negotiations underway, these findings provide a crucial blueprint for tackling the plastic crisis. Plastic production has increased relentlessly for decades, leading to surging plastic waste generation and environmental mismanagement. As plastic degrades, it fragments into micro- and nano-plastics, which harm ecosystems globally – from the Arctic to deep ocean habitats – and pose significant health risks, including heightened cancer risks, cardiovascular disease, and reproductive issues. The plastic lifecycle also intensifies climate change through emissions from oil and gas extraction, production, and waste processing. The disproportionate plastic waste burden on the Global South and the frequency of situating plastic facilities near marginalized communities have sparked pressing environmental justice concerns. Recently, there has been global momentum to address these issues, culminating in a 2022 United Nations resolution to negotiate a legally binding treaty to curb plastic pollution.

 

To help in this effort, Samuel Pottinger and colleagues developed a novel machine learning model to forecast trends in global plastic production, trade, and waste management to 2050. They also simulated the effects of eight plausible policy interventions to mitigate waste and emissions. Pottinger et al. found that, without interventions, annual mismanaged plastic waste is anticipated to almost double by 2050, reaching 121 million metric tons. Concurrently, annual greenhouse gas emissions from the global plastic system are projected to rise by 37% over the same period. However, the authors also show that a combined policy intervention approach involving a production cap, recycling mandate, packaging tax, and infrastructure investment could reduce mismanaged plastic waste by up to 91% and decrease 2050 plastics-related emissions by about a third. “Collectively, these observations provide timely insight into how to maximize the impact of the UN plastic pollution treaty both as it is being drafted and over the longer time horizon of its implementation,” write Pottinger et al. “It is clear from these results that, with sufficient political will, there is enough technical potential to dramatically reduce mismanaged plastic waste and meaningfully address some of the more insidious associated issues.”

A new study released in Science today determines that just four policies can reduce mismanaged plastic waste — plastic that isn’t recycled or properly disposed of and ends up as pollution — by 91% and plastic-related greenhouse gasses by one-third. The policies are: mandate new products be made with 40% post-consumer recycled plastic; cap new plastic production at 2020 levels; invest significantly in plastic waste management — such as landfills and waste collection services; and implement a small fee on plastic packaging. This policy package also delivers climate benefits, reducing emissions equivalent to taking 300 million gasoline-powered vehicles off the road for one year.

Water from Colorado’s West Slope basins plays a vital role in supporting the economy and natural environment across seven western U.S. states, but a new study finds that even under modest climate projections, the basins face a potential tipping point where traditional water delivery levels to Lake Powell and other critical areas may no longer be sustainable.

Hydrogen is set to play an important role in a future low-carbon economy. However, the hydrogen value chain comes with a set of emissions challenges that need to be addressed for hydrogen deployment to help achieve climate goals. A study prepared by the Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS) with support from Environmental Defense Fund Europe evaluates the potential impact of climate-warming emissions in Germany’s future hydrogen economy and provides recommendations for German and EU policymakers on how to avoid them.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and the European Union has set itself ambitious targets to become climate-neutral by 2050. A new policy paper from the Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" at the University of Konstanz now shows that acceptance of EU climate policy strongly depends on the inclusion of social policy measures.