Asia pledges action on oceans and climate change

Asian nations have pledged to clean up plastic pollution.

China, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines have told a UN oceans summit in New York that they would work to keep plastics out of the sea. It’s estimated that between five and 13 tonnes of plastic is deposited in the sea annually, with 75 per cent of waste originating from ten rivers in Asia.

Thailand has developed better waste management systems and incentives, encouraging eco-packaging to help tackle the problem in the country where 12 per cent of its sea waste is plastic.

Indonesia has started an environmental education programme in schools, and the Philippines are developing new laws to help tackle the problem, reports the BBC.

The summit also heard concerns that increased economic activity along the maritime silk route will increase ocean pollution if sustainable measures are not put in place.

In China, Tsinghua University will establish a new US-China Climate Change Institute to cooperate on technology and research in the battle against global warming, reports Reuters.