Why we need a global agreement to combat marine plastic litter and what it could look like - Nordic and Australian perspectives

Marine plastic pollution is a major environmental problem transcending sovereign borders. Combatting plastic litter is a key priority for the Nordic governments. Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden seek to deepen the dialogue on plastic pollution with Australia. Actions to address the problem must be taken nationally, regionally, and globally. The recently published Australian National Plastics Plan is a welcome addition to these efforts. The Nordic governments have called for a global agreement combatting marine plastic litter and commissioned a report on 'Possible elements of a new global agreement to prevent plastic pollution'.

Dr Karen Raubenheimer will be the keynote speaker and a panel of experts will discuss the benefits of such a global agreement and what it could look like.

Dr Karen Raubenheimer

Dr Karen Raubenheimer is a lecturer at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), University of Wollongong, Australia. She was lead author of the 2017 UNEP report, assessing the effectiveness of relevant international, regional and subregional governance strategies presented at the third meeting of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-3). Karen has led a number of studies on the topic for UNEP and is the lead author of the 2020 report commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers for the Environment and Climate Change, titled 'Possible elements of a new global agreement to prevent plastic pollution'.