The climate impact of plastic pollution is negligible – the production of new plastics is the real problem
- Written by: Karin Kvale, Senior Scientist, Carbon Cycle Modeller, GNS Science
The dual pressures of climate change and plastic pollution are frequently conflated in the media, in peer-reviewed research and other environmental reporting.
This is understandable. Plastics are largely derived from fossil fuels and the burning of fossil fuels is the major driver of human-caused climate change.
The window for cutting emissions to...