Why become a Clean Seas country?
The Clean Seas Campaign aims to reduce the use of unnecessary, avoidable and problematic plastics from source to sea.
Rooted in the long standing work of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML), Clean Seas targets individuals to take action in their own behaviour and to move markets; businesses to invest and fast track innovation; and governments to increase their levels of ambition and urgency, tighten regulations and better inform their citizenry.
The time for action to turn the tide on plastic is NOW!
The UN Secretary General António Guterres said in his 2020 State of the Planet speech that "making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century".
With pollution being one of the three interrelated planetary crises, along with biodiversity loss and climate instability all due to unsustainable production and consumption, we must shine a light on the negative impact that marine litter and plastic pollution are having on our health and the health of our environment.
The Clean Seas Campaign contributes to aspects of the implementation of UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolutions 1/6, 2/11, 3/7 and 4/6, working with governments, businesses and citizens to reduce unnecessary, avoidable and problematic plastics in order to protect our lakes, rivers, seas and related ecosystems that sustain life on earth and our very well-being.
We are the number one brand communicating on marine litter and plastic pollution in the world...
After the launch of the Clean Seas Campaign, UNEP was named as the number one brand of the online plastic pollution conversation, with seven UNEP voices having made up the top 20 most influential voices in the world, according to a study conducted by onalytica.
...and Clean Seas countries cover more than 60% of the world's coastlines!
Since 2017, 65 countries - both coastal and landlocked - have joined the campaign with ambitious pledges and important commitments to prevent marine litter and plastic pollution.
Many countries have pledged to reduce or eradicate single-use plastics from their societies through stronger legislation and regulation; others have committed to invest more in national recycling facilities; while some signatories have promoted action plans to prevent harm to the coastal and marine environment.
Here are some examples!
Since joining Clean Seas in 2017, Chile has brought into force a ban on single-use plastic bags and increased the size of its marine protected areas to 42% of their coastal waters (EEZ), in addition to the Extended Producer Responsibility law which it had already implemented in 2016.
As part of their hosting of the 2018 World Environment Day, India joined the Clean Seas Campaign announcing their plans to eliminate all single-use plastic in the country by 2022.
The Philippines has been actively combating marine litter and have launched even more initiatives since joining the Clean Seas Campaign. Through a number of clean-up efforts such as the Battle for Manila Bay and the “Adopt-an-Estero” Program, over 2000 tons of waste were removed from the sea in 2019 alone.
Kenya has seen big changes in its cities and landscapes since banning thin-film single-use plastic bags, a move that coincided with their joining the Clean Seas Campaign. This was recently reinforced by a ban on all single-use plastics in National Parks, beaches, forests and conservation areas, which came into force in 2020.
In 2021, Uganda, source of the White Nile and partial home to the Lake Victoria, became the second landlocked country to join the Clean Seas Campaign.
It is well known that rivers act as pathways for the flow of plastics and litter to our coasts and ocean, but lakes are also key source conduits, as well as crucial watershed ecosystems that are home to countless bird, fish and other species threatened by these pollutants.
The European Parliament passed in 2019 a directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment as a contribution in support of the objectives of the Clean Seas Campaign.
Previously, the European Commission had joined forces with UNEP and other international partners in 2017 to launch the Aquaria Coalition as an EU contribution to the Campaign, designed to raise awareness on marine litter.
Since joining Clean Seas, Canada has supported the campaign through research on the impact of microplastics in the aquatic environment and funding for community-based programmes.
The next phase of the Clean Seas Campaign further expands on the source to sea approach and continues to focus on addressing the urgency of tackling this issue through global action towards reducing the production and use of unnecessary, avoidable and problematic plastics.
By joining the Clean Seas Campaign, your country could become the next champion to turn the tide on plastic and help care for nature so that it can continue to care for us.
Joining the Clean Seas Campaign means agreeing to the objectives of the campaign and having access to a platform and best practices to profile your work and encourage others to act.
Countries may also request technical support from UNEP to develop their own national action plans to tackle marine litter and plastic pollution.
There are no financial implications associated with joining the Clean Seas Campaign, we simply invite our countries to make pledges and/or commitments that will help meet the objectives of the Campaign, cut plastic waste and reduce the flow of litter into our lakes, waterways, and oceans.
Clean Seas ladder of commitments and opportunities
4. Make additional commitments through the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, such as promoting innovative approaches to the production of reusable, recyclable or compostable plastics.
Joining the Clean Seas global community comes with benefits:
- Networking with like-minded members from across the globe.
- Promoting your efforts at the global level through the multilingual campaign platform.
- Benefitting from an array of GPML and campaign resources at your fingertips.
- Learning what is being done around the world to address marine litter and plastic pollution.
- Avoiding duplication of effort and optimising impact.
- Accessing opportunities to showcase your work.
