Unlocking Plastic Action for Inclusion Resilience and Growth GPAP Annual Report 2025

Conserving biodiversity Biodiversity underpins healthy ecosystems and economies, yet is declining rapidly with over half of global GDP (about $44 trillion) moderately or highly dependent on nature. As plastic pollution is set to double by 2040, GPAP with support from Global Affairs Canada is strengthening the link between plastics and biodiversity, driving coordinated action to reduce nature loss and conserve ecosystems. We initiated nine national-level assessments in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, Nigeria, Indonesia, the Philippines, Viet Nam and Maharashtra state (India). These groundbreaking studies will examine the impacts of plastic pollution on biodiversity and ecosystem services, assess the economic and social implications, and identify integrated solutions that tackle both challenges simultaneously. To enable local organizations to scale up and showcase their solutions, particularly those advancing gender equality and social inclusion, GPAP launched the Biodiversity Small Funds Initiative, with support from Global Affairs Canada. Out of 176 applications from eight countries, 20 projects were selected. Together, they are reaching more than 14,000 people from diverse backgrounds and communities, raising awareness of biodiversity loss and plastic pollution, and driving local action to address them. GPAP is playing a leading global role in advancing understanding of the plastic–biodiversity nexus. At the United Nations Ocean Conference, GPAP and partners brought together leaders from ocean, nature and policy communities to show how actions that address plastic pollution, such as ecosystem restoration and waste reduction, can also strengthen biodiversity outcomes, making interventions more effective and efficient. We further amplified this nexus through strategic communications, including thought leadership articles (“Not just trash: why plastic pollution is an economic and ecological emergency” and “How fighting plastic pollution can conserve biodiversity”) and a Biodiversity Day video. Plastic pollution and biodiversity loss are interconnected crises that erode the ecosystem services on which societies rely, from food security to disaster risk reduction. But knowledge about them is insufficient as the GPAP-hosted discussion at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress 2025 found, where government, finance and industry leaders explored “The hidden cost of plastic pollution and biodiversity loss: Economic and policy implications”. We also extended the reach of these messages globally through engagements at World Water Week and linked international announcements.GPAP has taken a pioneering step in understanding and addressing the link between plastic pollution and biodiversity loss. The total mass of all human-made materials is now roughly equal to the combined mass of all living organisms – animals, plants, fungi and bacteria. David Obura, Chair, Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)Learn more about our work on biodiversity 14,000 people reached through 20 projects. Unlocking Plastic Action for Inclusion, Resilience and Growth: GPAP Annual Report 2025 14