[Azul Policy Proposal] A Just Plastics Treaty: By Communities, For Communities – Supply Cuts, Fair Finance, Shared Technology, Local Power
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[Azul Policy Proposal] A Just Plastics Treaty: By Communities, For Communities – Supply Cuts, Fair Finance, Shared Technology, Local Power
Azul’s Policy Proposal Released ahead of INC-5.2 Calls for Supply Cuts, Fair Finance, Shared Technology, and Local Power
Related Materials: Download a PDF of our INC-5 analyses
From coastal villages to small island nations, ocean communities have cared for the seas for generations. Today, they’re demanding bold action to protect it from plastic pollution.
As governments prepare for the next round of negotiations of the Global Plastics Treaty at INC-5.2 in Geneva (August 5-14, 2025), Azul has released a new policy proposal to serve as a tool in the discussions:
“A Just Plastics Treaty: By Communities, For Communities”
This community-centered framework outlines four key pillars for success:
• Supply Cuts to address plastic pollution at the source
• Fair Finance that applies the polluter-pays principle
• Shared Technology accessible to all
• Local Power frontline communities must lead the way
Plastic pollution isn’t only an environmental issue – it poses a problem to human rights, social justice, AND the climate. That’s why Azul’s proposal centers the concerns and needs expressed by frontline communities, Indigenous Peoples, water pickers, youth, and small island nations in both problem-solving and resource access.
Key Articles in Plastics Treaty from Azul’s Policy Proposal
Azul’s policy proposal focuses on four articles in the Plastics Treaty Negotiations: Article 6, Article 11, Article 12, and Article 13.
Reduce Supply, Protect People and Nature
Article 6: Reducing Plastics at the Source – Commit to cutting primary plastic production 40% by 2035, with near-elimination by 2040. This goal is grounded in the precautionary principle, first recognized in the Rio Declaration and reaffirmed by countless environmental and legal experts.
Cut Inefficient Schemes, Fund Real Solutions
Article 11: Fair Finance For All – A Plastics Elimination Fund that channels money from those who profited most into those who protect the ocean daily. No funding would support incineration, chemical “recycling,” or other false solutions that pose new pollution risks for communities.
Tech Without Strings, Justice Without Delay
Article 12: Technology That Serves, Not Harms – Community-led vetting of technologies to lift IP obstacles and offer open access to tools that serve people and the planet. A Social and Ocean Justice Technology Panel, with strong Indigenous and community leadership, would vet technologies for real-world safety and fairness.
Skip Paper Promises, Boost Local Power
Article 13: Building Local Power – Dedicated funding for grassroots capacity: waste picker cooperatives, Indigenous guardianship, local councils, youth networks, and coastal municipalities. This builds on real-world blue economy best practices: from community-based MPAs, to co-governance between Indigenous nations and other governing bodies, to constitutional rights to a healthy environment.
The science is clear: we cannot recycle our way out of the plastics crisis. The solution lies in tackling supply and investing in the communities that have been protecting the ocean all along.