Research & Policy
The Plastics & Climate Project
Illuminating the data gaps to account for all the climate impacts of plastics
Illuminating the data gaps to account for all the climate impacts of plastics
Your work helped to establish the urgent need to understand the nexus between plastic pollution and climate change. Thanks for your tireless work to bring the issue of the climate impact of plastics to the attention of the world. You've helped to bring this issue into sharp public focus — exactly where it belongs.
Scientists know that plastics — and the petrochemicals in them — have climate change impacts. But we don't know how much of a temperature rise they may cause. With increasing plastic production, use, and waste generation, these climate impacts will also increase. Even many "bio" and "compostable" plastics affect the climate. Yet a number of climate impacts from plastics are not included in any greenhouse gas emissions inventories or climate models.
Emissions throughout the plastics lifecycle — from extraction, production and distribution to use, recycling, burning and environmental degradation.
Interference with global carbon cycling, including the functioning of ocean, soil, and plant carbon sinks.
Alteration of the Earth's radiation budget due to plastic particles covering the Earth's surface and presence in the air and clouds.