Indonesia will declare its commitment to combating plastic litter in maritime vessels on February 23, when it hosts the fourth World Ocean Summit in Bali, the country’s environment minister said.
Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said on Saturday (February 18) that Indonesia is amongst 10 countries committed to tackling the issue.
“Indonesia received special attention because we are one of 10 countries, including Brazil, involved in ocean cleanup,” she said on the National Waste Awareness Day celebration in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.
Siti added that the federal government will formally announce the commitment on February 23.
Indonesia can be scheduled to present a national motion plan on the fourth World Ocean Summit, to be held in Bali from February 22-24.
In January 2016, a report by the World Economic Forum concluded that at current rates, by 2050 there will probably be more plastic on the earth’s oceans than fish measured by weight.
A previous study by APEC estimated that marine pollution costs member economies $1.3 billion.
Moreover, the worldwide economy is losing 95 percent of the worth of plastic packaging, price $80-120 billion annually.
Source: The Straits Times
