At the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Belém, Pará, Brazil, unprecedented attention is being given to the oceans, which absorb 30% of the carbon released into the atmosphere. Yet, despite this focus, COP30’s official programming omits discussion of the leading source of ocean pollution: plastic, whose production still emits about 3.4% of greenhouse gas emissions, according to a study in Nature.
Plastic now makes up roughly 85% of all waste entering the oceans. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates at least 10 million tons of plastic reach the seas annually. By 2040, the amount of waste is expected to triple—threatening the oceans’ vital climate regulation role.
By 2040, plastic production could generate up to 2.8 gigatonnes of carbon per year, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In that scenario, the plastics industry would account for 5% of global CO2 emissions and consume 20% of worldwide oil demand—a finite, fossil-based resource.
Yet, neither the official COP30 plenary sessions nor Brazil’s conference events will address plastic production or ways to reduce it. Environmentalists—who share the summit’s conviction about the oceans’ role in tackling climate change—are frustrated by this gap.
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“COP30 acknowledged the importance of oceans in the climate debate but missed a critical opportunity to address the chief threat to the seas’ health,” said Iran Magno, campaign strategist for the environmental group Oceana.
Magno is attending COP30 in Belém. In an interview with Repórter Brasil, he praised President Lula for making the oceans a focus in his speech to world leaders preceding the conference. He also welcomed the unprecedented appointment of Marinez Scherer—a Brazilian biologist and professor—as special envoy for ocean discussions, marking a first i