News, stories and insights
29th of August 2025
No treaty in Geneva: what’s next for business
At INC-5.2 in Geneva, governments failed to agree on a plastics treaty text. But as Earth Action’s Sarah Perreard and Valuing Impact’s Ligia Moreno Soares explain, political delays do not reduce risks for companies. Regulation, litigation, and consumer expectations are already moving faster than negotiations. Their joint blog highlights why businesses and financiers cannot afford to wait, and how mapping plastic risks now can secure both compliance and capital access.
Beyond measurement : acting on emissions
Measuring emissions is essential, but not enough. In our latest blog, Earth Action reflects on work with a Swiss waste management firm to show where the GHG Protocol reaches its limits. Standard carbon footprints can assign responsibility without real levers for action, while translating footprints into feasible decarbonisation pathways remains challenging. EA proposes practical solutions, from creating a dedicated “Scope 4” to integrating resource efficiency with Reffnet projects. The goal: trajectories that are both science-based and realistic.
Plastic Overshoot Day is on 5 September
Plastic Overshoot Day marks the point in the year when the amount of plastic waste generated from single-use packaging, household and textiles exceeds the world’s capacity to manage it properly, which drives mismanaged waste and pollution. In 2025 the global date is 5 September. Countries also have their own dates, set by how much plastic waste they generate and how much they can manage. The report focuses on waste mismanagement as the key lens and calls for reduction, smarter design, and better collection and treatment systems.
www.plasticovershoot.earth
Join us at EuroPack Summit in Montreux
On 8–9 September 2025, the EuroPack Summit will bring together Europe’s leading packaging executives at the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace.
Earth Action’s Charlotte Durieux will join the panel “The Role of Packaging in Enhancing Consumer Experience: Beyond Functionality” (Sept 9, 12:15).
She will share insights on how packaging can drive consumer engagement, storytelling, and circular innovation, aligning sustainability with business strategy.
More information here.
Join us at E4S Showcase in Lausanne
On 10 September 2025, the E4S Showcase gathers innovators, academics, businesses, and policymakers to shape a better future for people and the planet.
This year’s theme focuses on human and ecosystem wellbeing, highlighting bold solutions for systemic change.
Earth Action will be there! Our co-founder Julien will attend in person. A great chance to meet and exchange if you’re joining too.
More information here.
In Case You Missed It
Catch up on key reports and articles:
Microplastics linked to higher mortality risk
Microplastics in human blood and long-term health outcomes (The Lancet, 2025)
A large cohort study finds that people with detectable microplastics in their blood face significantly higher risks of cardiovascular disease and early death. The findings reinforce the urgency of tackling microplastic exposure at a systemic level.
Read the article
Nature loss threatens global supply chains
Protecting supply chains and natural capital (Quantis, 2025)
This new report highlights how biodiversity decline is already disrupting agricultural, textile, and food supply chains.
Read the article
Plastics Treaty delay increases global waste risk
Global implications of postponing plastics governance (Journal of Environmental Management, 2025)
Researchers show that postponing robust international plastic policies could add millions of tonnes of unmanaged waste to global ecosystems by 2030, stressing the need for early adoption of binding measures.
Read the article
Chemical toxicity underestimated in current models
Toxicity: why our methods miss the real risks (Deep Science Ventures, 2025)
This think tank review argues that today’s regulatory frameworks underestimate cumulative toxicity risks. It calls for new systemic approaches to chemical risk assessment that capture real-world mixtures and long-term exposures.
Read the article
Nanoplastics impact crop health
Uptake and physiological effects of nanoplastics in food crops (Scientific Reports, 2025)
A controlled experiment demonstrates that nanoplastics absorbed by common crops can affect growth, nutrient uptake, and plant physiology. The findings raise concerns about food system impacts from micro- and nanoplastic pollution.
Read the article
Plastic bottles piling up on Latin American beaches
Abundance, provenance, and characteristics of plastic beverage bottles in human settlements and on beaches of the Latin American Pacific region: a citizen science study (Journal of Cleaner Production, 2025)
A citizen science study covering 12,000 km of Pacific coastline finds that most plastic bottles are locally produced, with hotspots in Central America and island inflows from Asia. It highlights urgent needs for waste management and return systems.
Read the article
The failure in Geneva must not be an alibi for inaction
In an opinion piece for Swiss Power Shift, Earth Action’s Julien Boucher and Sarah Perreard warn against complacency after the collapse of plastics treaty talks in Geneva. They argue that the absence of a treaty cannot justify inaction: financing and regulation remain decisive levers to cut plastic leakage and protect investors from growing legal and reputational risks.
On our radar
Beyond our own work, we track key policy moves, insights, and analysis shaping the sustainability agenda. This section spotlights external developments and perspectives we think are worth your attention.
This month, Eunomia and QUNO published Phase 3 of Plastic Money, modelling how phasing out subsidies for primary polymer production could cut plastics at the source while having limited impact on consumer prices. The European Commission opened its public consultation on the upcoming EU Circular Economy Act, inviting stakeholders to provide input on measures ranging from extended producer responsibility reform to green public procurement until 6 November.
Meanwhile, the EU’s Omnibus package simplifying CSRD reporting continues to spark debate: the EU Ombudsman has opened an inquiry into the fast-tracked process, and sustainable finance associations including Eurosif warned in a joint statement that simplifications must not undermine investor access to high-quality ESG data. At the same time, the new EU–US Framework Agreement pledged to reduce administrative burdens linked to sustainability reporting for transatlantic business.
Meet Romain Bosson
Like every month, we’re introducing you to one of our team members. This time, meet Romain: with over ten years of experience in the development of medical device, he is no stranger to tackling complex challenges and driving innovation. At Earth Action, he is a project manager working directly with clients on carbon footprint assessments and climate strategies. He also helps design and coordinate multi-stakeholder initiatives that bring diverse actors together around sustainability. With a strong track record in leading projects and teams, Romain ensures that ideas move efficiently from concept to implementation. His mission: to channel his engineering mindset into building solutions that deliver real-world impact.
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