Coastal Cities as Source and Solution: Shifting the Plastics Pollution Paradigm
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Description
Coastal Cities as Source and Solution: Shifting the Plastics Pollution Paradigm
| At the 20th Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS 2025) the panel discussion “Coastal Cities as Source and Solution: Shifting the Plastics Pollution Paradigm” will consider the links between plastic pollution, human behaviour and the sustainable development of coastal cities. This event will explore how coastal cities can transition from being sources of plastic pollution to drivers of innovative, safe and effective circular materials and waste management solutions. Speakers will elaborate on the role of multilateral environmental agreements and relevant global frameworks, such as the New Urban Agenda, the SDGs, and the ongoing Plastic Treaty negotiations (INC). Discussions will focus on strengthening the link between ocean health, urban development and the sustainable use of coastal resources.
Jointly organised by the International Ocean Institute (IOI) and Global Cities Hub (GCH), the session will explore:
Coastal cities are both hubs of economic activities and pivotal nodes through which land-based plastic waste tend to enter marine ecosystems. They are uniquely vulnerable to the very impacts they help generate: from degraded marine ecosystems to losses in fisheries, tourism and related trade, and risks to human health. As plastic degrades in landfills, waterways, and the ocean, it clogs sewage infrastructure, increases the risk of mosquito-borne diseases, and releases harmful chemicals and microplastics now detected in food webs, water supplies, air, and living tissues. |
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Date: 4 November 2025
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Speakers
- Régis Farret, Counsellor for Sustainable Development, Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations
- Antonella Vassallo, Managing Director of International Ocean Institute
- Graham Alabaster, Head of UN Habitat Geneva Office
- Gabriel Boichat, Head of Delegation of Catalonia in Geneva
- Dato’Ir Rajendran P. Anthony, Mayor, Penang Island, Malaysia
Registration
Register for the event on the GFHS website.