The United Nations was granted the mandate in 2022 to facilitate negotiations on a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. The negotiations should be finalised by 2024 and the intention is that from 2025, control measures for bans and phase-outs would be implemented at a national level across the globe.
In a country like South Africa, this raises the question of the socio-economic impacts or benefits of phasing-out and banning interventions. WWF South Africa commissioned a report to find out exactly what those socio-economic impacts might be, and contrary to popular perception, the results showed major benefits.
Intended for policy makers and other stakeholders who need to prepare for these potential global bans and phase outs, this local report focused on the impacts and benefits of 10 high-risk plastic products used in the country.
The study assessed environmental indicators and socio-economic indicators, including greenhouse gas emissions, employment, wages and GDP, with results showing a boost to real GDP outcomes and total employment for all genders, and an improvement in real wages and household income.
