Dr Allison Lindner gives oral evidence to the EFRA Committee on Global Plastics Treaty

On 8 July 2025, Dr Allison Lindner gave oral evidence on behalf of the Waste Law Research Group (WLRG) to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee at the Palace of Westminster. The evidence formed part of the Committee’s inquiry, Preventing waste and enabling a circular economy.

The WLRG, founded and chaired by Dr Allison Lindner and hosted by UCL Laws, is a group of early and mid-career academic waste lawyers. The group initially submitted written evidence jointly drafted by Dr Mikołaj Szafranski, Dr Michael Picard, Dr Feja Lesniewska, Dr Katrien Steenmans, Dr Carrie Bradshaw and Dr Lindner.

The evidence aims to support the Committee’s work on the ongoing negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty, an internationally binding instrument on plastic pollution under the United Nations Environment Programme. The next round of talks, the second part of the fifth session of the International Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2), will take place from 5 to 14 August 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland. It will continue the first part of the fifth session, which ended in Busan, Korea, in November 2024, without any clear agreement.

Dr Lindner commented:

 “The world urgently needs a Treaty to address the plastics pollution crisis that has negative implications for human health and the environment.

The WLRG was truly honoured to be invited by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee to give oral evidence that could inform the UK’s negotiating position at the upcoming INC-5.2, especially given that the Committee received thirty-five written submissions.”

In her evidence, Dr Lindner advised that the UK should remain committed to phasing out plastic chemicals and polymers of concern that present the highest risk of environmental harm. She proposed that an effective way to overcome disagreements between States could be a framework agreement with universal membership, complemented by a high-ambition Protocol for willing countries.

She also emphasised that the Plastics Treaty should be flexible and reflect the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities’. She recommended that the Global Environment Facility manage its finance mechanism, as it does for other Multilateral Environmental Agreements.

Find out more:

• A recording of the session is available on Parliament TV.
• Allison Lindner’s UCL profile
• Waste Law Research Group

For further information about the WLRG, which fosters rigorous debate and innovative approaches to waste law, please get in touch with Dr Lindner via allison.lindner@ucl.ac.uk.