SELA virtual seminar to address sustainable alternatives to plastics

The Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will hold the virtual seminar “Promoting substitutes and alternatives to plastics for clean water and sustainable economic development in the Caribbean Basin” on 29 April 2021, at 11 hours in Caracas.

More than 336 million tons of plastic items were sold globally in 2018 alone, accounting for about $1 trillion, a significant 5% of world trade. Production is expected to quadruple over the next thirty years, mainly due to industry growth in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Today, it is difficult to look in any direction without seeing any object made of this material because it is of great use. It is also, unfortunately, a great danger to human health and marine fauna, accumulating for a century as garbage in landfills, seas and streets.

Some alternatives could become good opportunities for the sustainable development of Latin American and Caribbean countries. These include glass, ceramics, natural fibres (coconut, palm), pulp (paper, cardboard), and even certain organic waste, such as bagasse and corn husks. In addition, new alternatives are constantly under development that could offer the continent the opportunity to enter the production of completely new materials based on previous raw materials.

The virtual seminar will allow five speakers and a moderator, specializing in the topic, to discuss the possibility of raising alternatives to plastics in Latin America and the Caribbean, as a way for countries, especially coastal and island nations, to prevent pollution caused by this type of waste that threatens the tourism, fisheries and ocean ecosystem industries. In turn, they could transform this reality into an opportunity to increase their prosperity by joining the circular economy-oriented movement early, which would protect their main sources of economic livelihood and simultaneously create jobs.

The panel consists of David Vivas Eugui, Legal Officer at UNCTAD; Diana Barrowclough, Senior Economist at UNCTAD; Luigi Cabrini, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Global Council for Sustainable Tourism (GSTC); Imega Breese McNab, Executive Director of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ); and Henrique Pacini, Economist at UNCTAD and Technical Advisor on the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution Programme (SMEP). The moderation will be carried out by Ambassador Chad Blackman, Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations and Chairman of the Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) of the World Trade Organization.

Participants at the opening session will be the Permanent Secretary of SELA, Ambassador Javier Paulinich, and Dr Roberto Sabonge, Secretary-General of the Association of Caribbean States (AES).

Para registrarse vaya al siguiente enlace: bit.ly/3cgQZPA