Environmental Action

2022

The SPHERE framework
supports decision-makers
in navigating all aspects of
the environmental impact of
packaging design, aiming for
a net-zero and nature positive
future.

2022

This report provides a global assessment of the level of plastic paint leakage worldwide.



It is based on the baseline year 2019 with a global paint demand of 52 Mt, that included 19.5 Mt of plastics and distributed across different sectors: Architectural, Marine, Road Marking, General Industrial, Automotive and Industrial Wood and Others.

2021

This volume examines the challenges and interlinkages between climate change and sustainable development across the Mediterranean, where the climate crisis is further aggravating pre-existing political, social, economic and environmental fragilities.

2021

This Report showcases the use of the guidance
presented in the UNEP/IUCN National Guidance
for Plastic Pollution Hotspotting and Shaping
Action, in the context of eight pilot sites in Eastern and Southern Africa, the Mediterranean
and Southeast Asia. This
publication compares the three regions and
provides situational analyses in terms of hotspots
and interventions to address plastic pollution.

2021

These Guidelines are the first integrated framework to comprise combined best practices for standardised accounting and reporting of plastic footprints, footprint mitigation methods and commitments to reducing plastic waste and achieving circularity.

2020

Industry guidance for performing corporate and/or product plastic leakage assessment.
Includes calculation routes and generic data. Full dataset available in the "Data&Tool" section of this website.
This document constitutes the current state of the art for computing plastic footprints and intends to complement the LCA framework with a new plastic leakage indicator.
This work has been realised in partnership with Quantis.

2020

Prospective modelling of plastic leakage by 2040.
Evaluation of plastic leakage mitigation showing that current commitment only allow 7% abatement when more systemic change could yield a 80% abatement of plastic pollution.
This work has been managed by Pew and Systemiq and in conjunctions with 20 other experts - this publication is linked to the full Breaking the Plastic Wave report.

2020

Guidance for countries and cities on measuring plastic leakage and defining plastic pollution mitigation strategies.
9 tools and modules to guide the process from data-collection to action
Currently being tested in 10 countries in collaboration with Quantis for UNEP and IUCN. The full set of modules and tools is available from the "Data&Tool" section of this website.

2020

Estimation of the stock of plastic accumulated in the Med Sea.
Modelling of the flows of plastic leaking in the Med Sea.
Comparison of both approaches shows that the stock and flow models are consistent.
Plastic leakage drawdown model shows current commitment are insufficient to solve the crisis.
This work has been prepared for the IUCN.

2020

Prospective modeling of plastic leakage by 2040.
Evaluation of plastic leakage mitigation showing that current commitment only allow 7% abattement when more systemic change could yield a 80% abatement of plastic pollution.
This work has been managed by Pew and Systemiq and in conjunctions with 20 other experts - this publication is linked with the article published in Science Journal.

2019

First guidance to compute plastic footprint at product or country level
Case study on the Baltic region.
This document was the starting point for developing the plastic leak project.
This report has been prepared for the IUCN.

2019

This report summarises the current scientific gaps and challenge for developing actionable metrics to assess plastic leakage and impacts.

2018

Assessment of plastic leakage in Lake Geneva
First study to compare top-down and bottom-up approaches for plastic leakage modelling
This publication has been prepared in collaboration with the EPFL and ASL.

2018

Review of existing plastic footprint methodologies
Identification of existing gaps and track for action.
This report has been prepared for the IUCN.

2017

First global assessment of microplastic leakage in the ocean and regional comparison with leakage from mismanaged waste
This report has been prepared for the IUCN.

What is the carbon footprint of primary care
practices? A retrospective life-cycle analysis
in Switzerland

This article shows that an optimizing structural and organisational aspects of practice work could have a major impact on the
carbon footprint of primary care practices without large-scale changes in medical activities.

2022

Which strategy for using medical and community masks? A prospective analysis of their environmental impact

This study provides an environmental assessment based on three indicators (GWP 100, UBP and plastic leakage) for different mask type and use strategies.

2021

Recommandations pour l'écoconceptions des cabinets de médicine de famille

This article describes a research analyses the origin of the greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions for the primary healthcare sector in Switzerland and demonstrates they could be reduced by if applying appropriate eco-design solutions.

2021

Ecoconception du cabinet de médecine de famille : concepts et vision d’avenir

The article describes the current challenges of applying ecodesign in the medical field and most specifically in the case of healthcare doctors. You can find more information about this research in the "project" section of the website.

2019

How to Avoid Pigeonholing the Environmental Manager?

The research investigates the role the environmental manager plays to ensure a successful (or not) implementation of ecodesign within an organisation. The article proposes the SEA (Shaping Environmental Action) model to facilitate ecodesign implementation. The model is based on 4 pillars: information, motivation, organisation, and strategy. This model served as the basis for developing the ecodesign maturity meter (See the "tool" section of the website).

2018

Adopting a life cycle perspective through ISO14001: a game changer

This report is intended as a guidance document to enable the understanding of the full consequences of integrating life cycle thinking within ISO 14001 management systems and of how new opportunities arising from the integration may be seized.

2017

Is Europe living within the limits of our planet?

What are the main principles to allocate Planetary Boundaries to countries and regions?
What is the EU performance over time with respect to these principles?
This background report is the core of the join EEA/FOEN publication.

2020

National environmental limits and footprints based on the Planetary Boundaries framework: the case of Switzerland

This research proposes an approach to allocate global planetary boundaries to a country and too determine whether the country is operating within these limits in a sustainable manner. The case of Switzerland is developed.

2018

Environmental limits and Swiss footprints based on Planetary Boundaries

One of the first systematic application of the Planetary Boundaries framework to countries
The developed methodology has now been applied by the European Environmental Agency.
Computed limits, footprints and performances are presented for Switzerland and the World.
This work has been realised in partnership with UNIGE and UNEP/GRID, for the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment.

2015

Are we beyond the limits of our planet? What are the limits of our consumption on the Earth systems? Which countries contributes the most to these impacts?

First global evaluation of the environmental performance of countries with respect to the Planetary Boundaries.
More than 40 distinct countries/regions are considered.
This work has been realized in partnership with UNIGE and UNEP/GRID, on a grant from the Boninchi foundation.

2015