Plastic industry's emissions threaten global carbon limits
By mid-century, emissions from plastic production are set to triple, significantly impacting the global carbon budget, a new report suggests.
Dharna Noor reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- The report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, released days before the start of the next round of negotiations for a global plastics treaty this week in Ottawa, indicates plastic production could consume one-fifth of Earth's carbon budget by 2050.
- Plastic production processes are highly dependent on fossil fuels, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
- Strategies to curb plastic production growth could mitigate severe climate repercussions.
Key quote:
“If this treaty forces companies to significantly cut plastic production – by at least 12% per year by our calculations – we can still keep the world’s 1.5 degree goal alive and stem the climate impacts of plastic.”
— Neil Tangri, science and policy director at the environmental justice group Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives
Why this matters:
The production of plastics predominantly relies on fossil fuels, particularly oil and natural gas, which leads to substantial carbon dioxide emissions. During the lifecycle of plastic, from production to disposal, various greenhouse gases are released, including methane from landfill sites where much of the discarded plastic ends up.
