Launch event. Closing the plastics data gap

Effective action on plastics and reducing their impact to people depends on the development and implementation of systematic data collection and robust data management frameworks — to inform decision-making across local, national and international scales.

To address these interconnected challenges, the UNSW Centre for Sustainable Development Reform and Global Ocean Accounts Partnership (GOAP) with Grid-Arendal has developed the Handbook for Developing National Plastics Data Systems and Global Plastics Data Tracker.

1. The Handbook for Developing National Plastics Data Systems provides governments with the first comprehensive, practical framework to build national plastics data systems. Developed by the Centre for Sustainable Development Reform at UNSW Sydney, the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership and GRID-Arendal, it guides countries through seven key steps — from data identification and gap analysis through to ongoing data management and the development of Plastics Accounts. The Handbook is designed to be flexible and scalable, meeting countries wherever they are in their plastics data journey. Preparation of the Handbook was funded by the United Kingdom Government’s Blue Planet Fund.

2. The Global Plastics Data Tracker presents data across the full plastics supply chain — production, consumption, trade, waste generation and treatment. Each country receives a data score indicating reporting frequency and granularity, revealing where data exists and where critical gaps remain. This provides negotiators and policymakers with a global evidence base to inform monitoring frameworks.

 Join us on Zoom as we launch these resources for the global community of practice. Guest speakers will:

• Highlight the importance of closing the data gap through systematic data collection as the foundation for effective plastic pollution and health policy and evidence-based decision-making.  
• Virtually launch the Plastics Data Collection and Reporting Handbook to the global policy, scientific and practitioner community.  
• Provide hands-on instruction to the Handbook’s methodologies and practical tools.
• Introduce case studies from Fiji and Sri Lanka will demonstrate how systematic data management has supported evidence-based decision-making.

Speakers

Dr. Sivendra Michael

Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Environment and Climate Change - Government of Fiji

Chathura Abeykoon

Assistant Director (Engineer)·National Solid Waste Management Support Centre - Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government, Sri Lanka

Eliza Northrop

Director, UNSW Centre for Sustainable Development Reform (CSDR) and GOAP Secretariat

Dr Randika Jayasinghe

Plastics and Waste Specialist, CSDR and GOAP Secretariat

Swati Singh Sambyal

Principal Expert (Pollution)·GRID-Arendal

Uthpala Gangodagama

Co-Lead - EcoRevive (Economic Recovery through Biodiversity & Waste Innovation) GIZ Sri Lanka

Sampath Bandara

Co-Lead - EcoRevive (Economic Recovery through Biodiversity & Waste Innovation) GIZ Sri Lanka

Emily Belonje

Research Associate, UNSW Centre for Sustainable Development Reform