Fishing for Hope at the G20

This year's G20 communiqué takes some important steps toward addressing the ocean crisis, but it needs to go further.

The oceans, covering 71% of our planet, are drowning under an ever-growing tide of plastic pollution. Each year, 8 to 10 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean, and if this trend continues, plastic could outweigh fish in the ocean by mid-century. The oft-repeated image of turtles mistaking plastic bags for jellyfish is just the tip of the iceberg.

Microplastics infiltrate food chains, posing health risks to humans and animals alike. Entire ecosystems are under threat, from coral reefs choked by debris to fish populations contaminated by pollutants. Protecting our oceans must be a priority before the damage becomes irreversible, and the G20 Rio summit provided a crucial opportunity for global leaders to address this crisis.

This was even the focus of the branding and media engagement at the Summit where the host government served mineral water in aluminium cans, hailed as a 'commitment to sustainability', and ran endless commercial videos extolling the virtues of these recyclable materials.

The same was true of the dangers of plastics in general: from the signage adorning the baggage carousels at Rio airport to the YouTube commercials that ambush you in Brazil, there is evidently a sustained campaign against plastics and the damage they imply, especially for vulnerable populations. One particularly arresting advert sees a child projectile vomiting plastics all over the beach, an image that is hard to shake off once you’ve seen it.

Yet, the sandwiches and cakes served to the international media were wrapped in clingfilm, espressos were served from disposable pods, and the much-needed evening beers arrived wrapped in plastic. But Brazil shouldn’t be singled out for its contradictions.

Globally, packaging waste is omnipresent. Supermarkets are overflowing with pointless waste; individually wrapped peppers, plastic-coated dishwasher tablets inside large tubs and much more. Most of this waste ends up in landfills – or our oceans.

This year’s G20 communiqué does take some important steps toward addressing the ocean crisis. It emphasises the critical importance of oceans for sustainable development and commits to concluding negotiations on an ambitious and legally binding international agreement to end plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, by the end of 2024.

Furthermore, the communiqué builds on the recent agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (the BBNJ Agreement). It calls for early implementation of this agreement and stresses the importance of enhanced international cooperation, capacity-building, technical assistance, and financial support - especially for developing countries.

The G20 also endorsed the continuation of the Oceans20 initiative, which debuted under Brazil’s presidency and aims to bring ocean health to the forefront of global discussions.

Under Brazil’s presidency of the G20, the creation of the Oceans 20 (O20) Social Group was a historic first. It brings together organisations like Voice of the Oceans, which is spearheading efforts to combat plastic pollution. Their expeditions around the globe aim to raise awareness and develop solutions to one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. In fact, they chose Rio as the final destination for their 'Voices of the Oceans Maritime Expedition - Brazil Route' 2024 in celebration of the G20 summit. Starting out from Santa Catarina, in September, the crew of five sailors started collecting messages from children, students, and Indigenous people about their dreams for maritime preservation. They initially planned on the scroll being 30m², but by the time it was delivered in Rio as part of the Social 20 talks, it spanned 60m².

Heloisa Schurmann, one of the leaders of the project who spoke with the Global Policy G20 Team, feels that G20 leaders can play a critical role in combating plastic pollution by introducing policies that address both production and consumption. She and Voice of the Oceans are calling for multilateral institutions to set more ambitious and measurable targets to reduce single-use plastics and encourage the adoption of biodegradable or reusable alternatives. They also want to see forums establish uniform regulations on plastic packaging and recycling across member states to promote consistency in international trade and waste management.

Schurmann is also keen to highlight the disproportional impact plastic pollution has on Indigenous communities in Brazil: ‘Plastic waste disrupts traditional fishing practices, contaminates water sources, and damages ecosystems critical to Indigenous livelihoods.’ As well as endangering livelihoods, Schurmann argues that plastic pollution also desecrates sacred lands and waters, threatening spiritual and cultural practices tied to natural ecosystems.

Yet, the imposition of plastic into Indigenous communities has completely upended what was once an organic and sustainable relationship to food consumption. Before, one could just eat a banana and throw the waste back to the soil to decompose. But now everything is wrapped in plastic, and for communities with no access to waste disposal, where does this rubbish go?

Schurmann feels that a lack of access to effective waste disposal has major consequences for health, without formal waste management, people have to resort to burning plastic waste. This has horrible implications for health - releasing toxic chemicals and increasing health risks like respiratory issues and cancer. She continues: ‘Industrial activities upstream or nearby often deposit plastic waste in Indigenous territories, leaving communities to deal with the aftermath without receiving benefits from those industries’.

So what can the G20 do to combat plastic waste? Schurmann proposes that the G20 nations go further than their declaration. Imploring leaders to look towards establishing a Global Plastic Treaty, supporting the ongoing UN efforts for a legally binding treaty to reduce plastic waste and pollution. Further, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and plastic reduction targets, would create a mandate that holds companies accountable to their overuse of plastic. Ensuring that corporations 'manage the lifecycle of plastic products, including circular economy, recycling and disposal, ensuring they take responsibility for post-consumer waste'.

Given the prominence of Brazil’s Amazon, emphasising rainforests has undoubtedly generated more compelling headlines and marketable narratives at G20 and COP events, especially when they are hosted, or soon will be hosted in Brazil. However, Lula’s claims to include marginalised voices will fall flat if he fails to also include those Indigenous communities directly affected by ocean pollution. Perhaps the organisers of COP30 will put a little more thought into the whole ecosystem of sustainability when they plan to host 2000+ of the world's media, and will engage directly with those expert groups who go beyond branding videos.

G20 Team: Alicia Sear-Acinas, Amelia Eveleigh, Ethan Ryan, Gregory Stiles, Grzegorz Stal, Madeleine Fearn, Matthew Bishop, Imogen Parry, Scarlett Vickers, Shengyao Guo.

Images: Author's own.