New Global Commitment Report reveals progress towards eliminating plastic pollution
Promoted by Nova | 25 October 2019 New Global Commitment Report reveals progress towards eliminating plastic pollution

Nova School of Business & Economics is part of the scale of global efforts to prevent plastic pollution that has now been revealed in a new report published by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in collaboration with the UN Environment Program. It comes 12 months after the launch of the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, which set out a circular economy vision for plastic.

Nova SBE became the second Portuguese school and the second school on the Financial Times ranking and one of the few organizations with a pilot project for a mandatory container deposit scheme to pledge its commitment to this global initiative.

Launched in October 2018, the Global Commitment now has over 400 organizations committed to eliminating problematic and unnecessary plastic packaging, and innovating so that all plastic packaging is 100 % reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and can be safely and easily circulated without becoming waste or pollution.

This action is one aspect of Nova SBE’s sustainability efforts, which have been growing in projects and measures in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, and with European and national campaigns towards a circular economy.


Promising early progress

This report provides an unprecedented level of transparency on how almost 200 businesses and governments are changing their plastic production and use to achieve this. It shows promising early progress.

Analysis carried out for the report shows that on average around 60 % of business signatories’ plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable today. Through the Global Commitment they have committed to make this 100 % by 2025.

UN Environment Programme Executive Director, Inger Andersen, said:

“Addressing plastic pollution requires a fundamental system shift, from a linear to a circular economy for plastic, which is at the core of the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. The 2019 Progress Report shows how leading businesses and governments are taking actions in such a systemic way, thus demonstrating this makes business and political sense. The benefits represent a huge opportunity, and the concerted approach leaves no excuses not to act. We need all actors to work together in the plastic pollution crisis: UN Environment Programme calls on all relevant businesses and governments to join the Global Commitment to fight against plastic pollution as part of the implementation plan ‘Towards a pollution-free planet’.”

When asked about the importance of Nova SBE's involvement, Luís Veiga Martins, Nova SBE's Sustainability Officer, stated that:

"Universities and academia, in general, with its broad scope of creating and disseminating knowledge and given their unique position in society, have an essential role when promoting a circular economy. That is why Nova SBE has, from the very beginning, decided to be part of this initiative and thus strive to improve and create a meaningful impact."

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