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The report provides a reference for how microplastics may be addressed under a global agreement to end plastic pollution. It elaborates on how microplastics are currently regulated and managed, and potential measures and modalities to address microplastics. The report is intended to inform and inspire stakeholders and policymakers, including negotiators and delegates in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), to consider microplastics holistically. The report introduces key concepts and summarises the knowledge base and gaps that remain for a science-policy interface on microplastic pollution. It analyses existing measures on the regional and national level and shows how different measures are required to address various sources and pathways. A chapter is dedicated to lessons learnt from existing multilateral environmental agreements of relevance for microplastic pollution.

The report elaborates on what sustainability criteria for plastic products may entail in a global agreement on plastic pollution. It proposes an analytical framework for sustainability criteria, situating them as the link between global objectives and implementation measures. It discusses how sustainability criteria may be incorporated in a global agreement and what operational measures can contribute to their fulfilment, emphasising that there is no one overarching criterion for sustainable production and consumption of plastic products. Rather, a range of criteria may collectively contribute towards more sustainable production, consumption, and management of plastic products throughout their lifecycle. The report further highlights the importance of considering risks of problem-shifting in the design and integration of sustainability criteria in a global agreement.