Germany Joins the GGGI
During the third round of International Legally Binding Instrument on plastic pollution (ILBI) negotiations, commonly referred to as the Plastics Treaty, Dr. Axel Borchmann, Germany’s Deputy Head of Division for the Ministry of the Environment, announced that Germany has joined the GGGI. Germany also announced that it would be committing 100,000 euros annually to the GGGI.
“As the deadliest form of marine debris and mostly made from plastics, addressing ghost gear is critical to solving the ocean plastics pollution crisis. We are thrilled that Germany has joined the Global Ghost Gear Initiative during INC-3 and hope that other countries taking part in the plastics treaty negotiations will join us in addressing this pervasive threat to our ocean”
- Ingrid Giskes, GGGI Senior Director
As a GGGI member, Germany will work closely with the initiative and regional bodies on setting ambitious national and regional targets with the aim of preventing and mitigating the impacts of ghost gear.
“The ocean is already suffering from the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, and plastic pollution is putting it under further enormous pressure. Ghost gear and other legacies from the fishing industry now account for as much as 50 percent of marine plastic litter. We must and we want to counteract this trend, which is why I am delighted that Germany has now joined the Global Ghost Gear Initiative. We can only deal with this urgent problem at international level. That is also true of the new round of negotiations for a global agreement on plastic pollution. I am optimistic that we will make key progress in the negotiations and the international community will reaffirm that it considers the protection of our natural environment to be a top priority. We must preserve our oceans as climate regulators, as unique ecosystems and as habitats for a multitude of fascinating species.”
- Steffi Lemke, Germany’s Federal Environment Minister
The 20 other member countries of the GGGI include Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Iceland, Mexico, Montserrat, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, Panama, Samoa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Tonga, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, United States, and Vanuatu.
