Sri Lanka joins Commonwealth alliance to fight against plastic pollution

Tuesday, 17 April 2018 00:53 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

London: British Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Sunday (15 April) that Sri Lanka, along with New Zealand and Ghana, has joined the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance (CCOA) to join forces in the fight against plastic pollution.

The three countries have joined forces with the Britain- and Vanuatu-led CCOA which has pledged to eliminate avoidable single-use plastic in an ambitious bid to clean up the world’s oceans.

Britain, together with CCOA co-chair Vanuatu, will call on other countries to pledge action on plastics, be this by a ban on microbeads, a commitment to cutting down on single-use plastic bags, or other steps to eliminate avoidable plastic waste.

To drive this forward, the Prime Minister has also announced a £ 61.4 million package of funding to boost global research and help countries across the Commonwealth stop plastic waste from entering the oceans in the first place.

Up to five developing countries will be supported to help them meet the ambitious political commitments they have made by signing up for the CCOA.Developing countries signing up for the Alliance will also be eligible to bid for partnership support to improve waste management systems and implement other initiatives to stop plastic waste from reaching oceans, a press statement said.

The Prime Minister has announced that all developing country members of the CCOA can bid for Department for International Development (DFID) partnership support from a new £ 5 million facility to improve waste management systems and implement other initiatives to reduce plastics waste.

The DFID will also support research into solutions to reduce manufacturing pollution, and carry out waste management pilot programs to help tackle the waste from cities that too often ends up in the world’s oceans and rivers. This will protect the livelihoods and health of those that are affected by plastic pollution while also providing new jobs in some of the world’s poorest countries.

Furthermore, the UK will commit £ 25 million to help researchers approach the scourge of marine plastic waste from a scientific, technical, economic and social perspective. It will also put £ 20 million to prevent plastic and other environmental pollution from manufacturing in developing countries.

To further support the work of the CCOA, £ 16.4 million will be used to improve waste management at a national and a city level.

The CCOA will work in partnership with businesses and NGOs, including the World Economic Forum, Sky, Fauna and Flora International, the Coca-Cola Company and WWF to share expertise and experience, and push for global change.