GoodMorningExcellencies,LadiesandGentlemen

Iamhonoredtoparticipateonthispanelthismorning

AndonbehalfofthePlasticSolutionsFundwouldliketothanktheEuropeanUnionandtheGovernmentofMaltaforthisopportunitytoannounceourintentiontoraiseEURO12.6million($15million)overthenextthreeyearstocombattheproblemofsingleuseandotherdisposableplasticpackaging.

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ThePlasticSolutionsFundwasestablishedearlierthisyeartosupportnon-profitorganizations,particularlyinAsia,theEuropeanUnionandtheUnitedStates,thatwanttotransformplasticspackagingsupplychains,reducingnotonlytheamountofthisplasticthatenterstheenvironment,buttheamountthatismanufacturedinthefirstplace.

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Weareallofcoursefamiliarwithgraphslikethisonethatdemonstratetheextenttowhichplastic,andparticularlyplasticpackagingwasteisimpactingourOceans.

Thewordlitterhowever,asincludedonthisslide,tendstomakeusthinkofplasticastrashthatthatcansimplybepluckedoutoftheocean– ourmindimmediatelygoesimagesofthetrashgyres– butmacroplastic isonlythetipoftheiceberg–microplastic formedbythemechanicalbreakdownofmacroplastic– what5GyresCo-FounderMarcusEriksoncallsthe‘smogofthesea’isamuchmoreintractableproblem.

Andwearequiteliterally,asHRHthePrinceofWalessaid,eatingplasticasaresult…

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ButPlasticsarenotonlyanoceansproblem.Theyarealsoaclimateproblem– withpetrochemicalsforplasticsproductionsettodrivecrudeoilsalesfordecades–accordingtotheInternationalEnergyAgencytheywillaccountfor44%ofcrudeoildemandgrowthbetween2015and2040.

InthewakeoftheParisAgreement’scommitmenttokeepingglobaltemperatureriseaswellbelow2degreesit’simportantthatpetroleumproductionforallendusesisdrawndown.

Furthermore,itisimperativethatwedestroythemyththatplasticissomehowanetcarbonsink,withtheUSEPAstudiesshowingthat“wastetoenergy”incineratorsandlandfillscontributefarhigherlevelsofgreenhousegasemissionsandoverallenergythroughouttheirlifecyclesthansourcereduction,reuseandrecyclingofthesamematerials.

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ItisforthisreasonthatthePlasticSolutionsFundisfocusingontheupstreamdriversofplasticpollution.Althoughthewasteisendingupintheocean,theproblemiscomingfrom,andneedstobesolvedonland.Astheysay,anounceofpreventionsayisworthapoundofcure.

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Forthisreason,wearesupportingcitiesandcommunitiesin16highimpactsitesacrossAsiatoestablishzerowasteprogramsthatwillhelppreventmorethan868thousandtonsofwaste,includingmorethan173thousandtonsofplastic,frombeingreleasedintotheenvironment.

AswellasprovidingmodelsoffinancialandenvironmentalbenefitstoothercitiesacrossAsia.

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WearesupportingorganizationsandcommunitiesinEuropetoencouragetheEuropeanCommissiontobearealleaderonthisissueandsetambitiousgoalsinit’sCircularEconomyDirectivetoreducetheproductionanduseofsingleuseplastic.

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Wearesupportingcommunitiesaroundtheworldtoauditnotonlythetypeofplasticendingupontheirbeaches,butwhoproducesitandtostartadialoguewiththemanycompaniesaroundtheworldwho’sproductsarepollutingtheocean.

AsVirginie (previousspeakerP&G)said,nowisthetimeforcompaniestoworkwiththeirdesignersandengineersandmarketersoninnovationandre-design.Butitneedstogobeyondrecyclingornewmaterials;companiesneedtoinnovatethewaytheydelivertheirproductsoverall.

Andweknowtheycandoitbecausethey’vedoneitbefore.ThoseofuswholiveorworkinAsiaknowthatmultilayersachetsarearelativelynewthing– andarearesultofcompaniesdecidingtodelivertheirproductsinatotallynewmanner– thetimehascomeforthemtodothatagain.

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Andperhapsmostimportantlywearesupporting1000sofpeopleandcommunitiesfromaroundtheworldwhobelieveinaworldfreeofplasticpollutiontojointogethertoachieveourcommonvisionofsocialandenvironmentaljustice.

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Inourfirsteightmonthsofoperationwehavemadegrantstotalingnearly2.3millionEurotomorethan30organizationsaroundtheworld.Andwithatotalof9mEurooverthreeyearsalreadycommittedfromourfoundingpartnerorganizations,wearelookingforwardtoatleasttriplingthatinvestmentinthenexttwoyears.

Inconclusion…

Untilrecentlywehaveinrealityusedtheoceansastheultimatetrashcan.Butaswe’velearnedtoourcostwithcarbondioxide,andasweareincreasinglyunderstandingwithplastic,thereisnoaway.

And assomeonewhogrewupwiththe3-Rs,I’mproudtobeplayingaroleinmakingthefirstR– Reduction– whichafterallisintendedtobethelargestpartoftheequation- areality.

Thetimehascome– asEmilyPennsoeloquentlyarticulated(inherspeechearlier)to‘turnoffthetap’.

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