Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Antonia Loyzaga (right) had a bilateral meeting with Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Espen Barth Eide (middle), and Norway’s Lead Negotiator/Focal Point on the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution Erlend Draget (left) at the sidelines of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78) last September in New York City. They discussed the negotiations on the “Zero Draft” of the UN Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution, an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including the marine environment. During the meeting, Loyzaga shared the Philippines’ and the DENR’s experience in implementing the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022, which requires large-scale companies to establish a mechanism for the proper and effective, recovery, treatment, recycling or disposal of their plastic packaging. Eide cited some key steps to ensure progress going forward, and invited the Philippines to become a member of the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) to End Plastic Pollution, and to be one of the forerunners in Asia along with Japan.###