On 8 June, the UN World Oceans Day invites us to “marvel at a realm that sustains half the planet’s oxygen, cradles most biodiversity and feeds over a billion people”. Yet by 2025, as countries convene for the third time at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, the seas remain choked with
On the Road to Nice Video gallery from the Marine-based Products and Services Expo at the 5th UN Oceans Forum 2025 In the lead up to the global UN Oceans Conference 2025 to be held in Nice, France, the UN hosted its 5th UN Oceans Forum. During this forum, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and
Countries are ramping up sustainability plans, but too often, they are designed in isolation. A new UNCTAD SMEP Programme–Chatham House brief reveals that national circular economy and bioeconomy strategies, are rarely aligned, undermining efforts to use biological resources more sustainably and reduce pollution and waste. This gap is also negative for biodiversity goals and weakens
Leaving the shore Marine-based substitutes and alternatives to plastic In response to this growing crisis, a United Nations Global Plastics Treaty is under negotiations. UNCTAD has been conducting research and advocating for the recognition of non-plastic substitutes and alternatives in the future treaty. This report builds on previous research and explores the role of marine-based
In 2022, global fisheries and aquaculture hit a record 223.2 million tonnes – enough to supply every person on Earth with 28 kg of fish and seafood for a year (SOFIA, 2024). But behind that volume are millions of livelihoods, many in developing countries that still lack the tools to access, navigate, or shape global
Understanding visible light and microbe-driven degradation mechanisms of polyurethane plastics Pathways, property changes, and product analysis Developed under the SMEP-funded GIVO-Warwick project, lead by the University of Warwick, the below study investigates the role of microorganisms in the degradation of plastics. The accumulation of polyurethane plastics (PU-PS) in the environment is on the rise, posing
Biodegradation of microplastics derived from controlled release fertiliser coating Selective microbial colonisation and metabolism in plastisphere Developed under the SMEP-funded GIVO-Warwick project, lead by the University of Warwick, the below study assesses the degradation process of controlled-release fertiliser (CRF) derived microplastics in soil. Coated controlled-release fertilisers are widely used in agriculture, and the persistent presence
The operating performance of Modified Basalt Fibres (MBF) bio-nest reactor exposed to nano-plastics Developed under the SMEP-funded GIVO-Warwick project, lead by the University of Warwick, the below study is the first of its kind assessing Modified Basalt Fibre (MBF) bio-nests treating wastewater with exposure to nano plastic. Biological nests made of MBF serve as effective
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