On Nov. 12th in Nairobi, Kenya, we held a side event with other three Chinese CSOs during the Plastic Treaty INC-3 (Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee, Third Session). The meeting is titled as “CSO’s Engagement in Plastic Pollution Governance in China”. The Director of Science Department of UNEP, and the Deputy Director of Solid Waste Management Department of Ministry of Ecology and Environment, delivered speeches in the opening session.
I tried my best to summarize the values that CSOs in China can create. It might be too optimistic if I say that local CSOs are professional and playing a critical role. In fact, they are still pre-mature. However, they should be seen, and the necessity that they should be nurtured and coached should also been noticed. Anyhow, they have a huge potential to drive positive changes in China and influence the world.
Below is my opening speech:
Your Excellencies Director Dr. Liu Jian, Mr. Wen Xuefeng,
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning!
It is an honor for me to speak at this side event, “CSOs’ Engagement in Plastic Pollution Governance in China”. On behalf of World Wide Fund for Nature, WWF, as well as our three co-organizers, SEE Foundation, Shenzhen Zero Waste, ICNCE, I would extend my warmest welcome to you all.
First, let me briefly introduce the co-organizers:
You might be familiar with WWF through our global network covering most major environmental issues. To advocate for a treaty with harmonized and binding global rules, we provide technical solutions and create communication opportunities, like today.
SEE foundation is a most impactful local environment foundation, with many members of entrepreneurs. It aims to reduce the production of plastic by funding local CSOs and communication events.
Shenzhen Zero Waste addresses critical issues concerning plastic, chemical safety, and waste management. A successful case is that through their actions, the chemical compliance rate of yellow plastic duck toys sold on e-commerce platforms increased from 10 per cent to more than 90 per cent.
ICNCE, Institute of Carbon Neutrality and Circular Economy, supports the supply chain to use more recycled materials. It aims to reduce the carbon emission from consumption side and provide traceability of recycled plastics.
OK, let’s talk about how CSOs could contribute to the plastic pollution governance in China.
China holds a unique position in the global landscape of plastic pollution governance. With China’s significant plastic production and processing capacities, diverse plastic product categories, and highly developed logistic industry, I am confident that you would all agree, China’s role in tackling plastic pollution is crucial. Thus, understanding China, and exploring how CSOs can contribute to the plastic pollution governance, is also key in facilitating the process.
Compared with many other countries, in China, the government system takes more responsibility. It not only governs the administrative process, but also carries out a large amount of policy studies through its own institutes. Therefore, to advocate policies, CSOs must align with both the government’s agenda and its policy researcher’s interests. Fortunately, the Chinese government is very open in communicating environment issues with the world. For instance, there is a governmental-owned think tank called China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, or CCICED in short, which specializes in policy research. Its members include domestic and international scholars and international organizations from various backgrounds, including WWF as an international NGO. Through the various channels of CCICED, WWF has clearly explained how the plastic pollution problem could impact on the society, economy and human health, we identified current policy gaps, and called for urgent national action plans. This is done through annual meetings held by CCICED and special policy studies working groups under it. Through conversing with ministers and even vice premiers, as a CSO work in China, WWF can play a vital role in building a communication bridge between China and the world.
Institutional arrangements from the government are the opportunities that CSOs should consider. Well-prepared policy research may eventually be adopted by the government.
Thanks to the complete production industries, universally available mobile infrastructure and inexpensive logistic services, the e-commerce is extremely popular in China. Sitting in the Yangtze Delta region like Shanghai, people can buy almost anything worth more than 1 dollar online from adjacent cities and get a free shipping. 1 dollar, for commodity, package and delivery, I am confident that any possibility of these combination you could think of, contains plastic. This is a typical, if not unique, situation in China. Here comes the problem: as the market is so huge, business owners can easily use illegal or banned plastic packages. However, the quantity is too small for law reinforcement to notice. One of our co-organizer here, Shenzhen Zero Waste, worked with the e-commerce platforms to remove more than 100 million banned plastic lunchboxes. WWF is also exploring the possibility of applying EPR, especially DRS (deposit refund system) for raise the recycling rate of package.
What we see from this case is, China has its strong plastic production and developed e-commerce, which makes full plastic regulation hard to implement. CSOs can identify small but specific problems that are often neglected and solve it in a cost-effective way.
China has a long coastal line and plastic wastes can sometimes be found on beaches. SEE Foundation funded several local organizations that specialized in beach cleaning. These activities cater the demand of many corporate and individuals, who do not have much knowledge on plastic pollution, but would like to contribute to this issue. ICNCE also worked with fishery communities on collecting used fishing gears.
These beach clearing activities form a necessary complementary to actions taken by the governments. Despite its small scale, such kind of work serves as a perfect example of funding mechanisms for CSOs to reduce plastic pollution.
We must acknowledge the fact that the CSO development is still pre-mature in China. The activities carried out are still simple and direct, and there are huge potential roles that CSOs can play in studying policy in different level and areas, in driving changes of private sectors, and in benefiting local communities. WWF is committed to support the CSOs in building the capacity on theory of change and seeking best practices, so that this sector can provide constructive advises and practical solutions.
This side event today is a good opportunity. The CSOs working in China are eager to let the global plastic community see the efforts and would discuss what and how we can further contribute to the plastic pollution governance in China.
Once again, on behalf of WWF and our other three co-organizers for this side event, thank you for coming! And I look forward to an informative and enlightening meeting today.
Press Release from SEE Foundation (in Chinese)
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/81UHvSBQDARujIIskbB5zg