UN plastic pollution talks must result in ambitious treaty, leading expert says

An artwork by Canadian artist and activist Benjamin Von Wong entitled The Thinker’s Burden, a sculptural ‘remix’ of Rodin’s iconic Thinker, outside the UN offices in Geneva during the talks. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

Delegates at the UN plastic pollution treaty talks in Geneva must secure an ambitious global agreement so they can look future generations in the eye, one of the world’s leading marine litter experts has said.

Prof Richard Thompson, who was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people this year for his groundbreaking work on plastic pollution, said decisive action was needed to protect human health and the planet.