Indonesia Government Says Committing to Tackle Plastic Pollution

Jakarta, MINA – The Indonesian government has expressed its commitment to contribute to global efforts to tackle plastic pollution.

“Indonesia supports the global framework for tackling marine debris and plastic pollution,” said Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya in a High Level Dialogue with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) on Thursday.

She said, Indonesia at various levels of government worked to realize global commitments in tackling plastic pollution.

The meeting, which was led by “conveners” from Ecuador, Germany, Ghana, and Vietnam, aimed to form a forum for negotiations on the handling of marine debris and microplastics.

On that occasion, Indonesia said that capacity building and assistance should be the main pillars in the global framework to tackle plastic pollution.

In addition, the waste reduction target must take into account the capabilities and interests of each country.

Siti Nurbaya also said that the global framework must be able to ensure a smooth and inclusive transition phase towards the formation of a plastic-free society.

Indonesia itself targets to reduce 70 percent of marine waste, which is dominated by plastic, by 2025.

Siti said that a number of steps for handling marine debris have been carried out, including the establishment of the Center for Marine Hygiene Capacity Development in Bali, the enactment of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in which producers must be responsible for their products when they become waste, as well as starting a circular economy approach. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)