Ahead of World Environment Day (5 June), Marc Cools, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, has made the following statement:

"This year’s World Environment Day includes a welcome call for all of us to play a part in tackling plastic pollution.  The misuse of plastics is a global problem with major local consequences. Plastic pollution threatens our seas, rivers, lakes, forests and urban areas. It threatens the health of our local communities.

“The elimination of microplastics and other plastic waste requires a joined-up approach with action at every level, from the local to the international. In this spirit, the recent Congress report on the circular economy, addressed to countries throughout Europe, points the way to local and regional authorities - and citizens - reducing consumption and waste, including plastic, and to the greater reuse and recycling of resources.   

“We are also at work on ways for local and regional governments to address other aspects of the triple planetary crisis posed by pollution, climate change and the loss of biodiversity.  From our recent report on water governance, to or our current work on coastal erosion and the right to a healthy environment, we are bringing local and regional governments together in the search for the right solutions for our shared environment. We are determined to play our part in the response that must come from every level of governance if we are to meet the urgent environmental challenges we face together.”    

Contact: Congress Communication Unit, tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 38 90