Plastic pollution has emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, with profound implications for ecosystems, economies, and societies worldwide. Nowhere is this more evident than in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), where the convergence of factors such as limited land availability, fragile ecosystems, and heavy reliance on marine resources exacerbates the impacts of plastic pollution. However, amidst these challenges lie opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and sustainable development. Tides of Change: Mitigating Plastic Pollution in Small Island Developing States seeks to inform, inspire, and empower readers to join the global effort to combat plastic pollution and safeguard the world's oceans for future generations.

Plastic pollution is a serious and worldwide issue. Current approaches to the problem are scattered, and they can only have a short-term impact on plastics discharge into the environment. More than a hundred nations have urged for the UN Environment Program to develop a worldwide accord on plastics (UNEP). Combating plastic pollution needs adjustments in production, commerce, and consumption. Prioritizing political and regulatory initiatives requires a clear focus and set of measures from the international community. Target hazardous plastic trash first, then single-use plastics, and last poisonous, non-recyclable plastics. Some of the Basel Plastic Waste Amendments attempt to improve trade regulation. Also, national trade and manufacturing rules are phasing out single-use plastic, especially in tiny island developing states (SIDS). Aside from initiatives to encourage reuse, reduction, and replacement, waste management should be prioritized, especially in developing nations with inadequate material recovery and recycling capacity. More nations are pressing for a new global accord on plastic pollution, hoping to get a new UN Environment Assembly mandate. A UN deal on plastic pollution might spur coordinated and larger national action, aided by global trade initiatives.

To effectively deliver sustainable management in practice for Africa, we need responsible leadership. We need to deepen our understanding of sustainability in the unique socio-political and economic context of the continent. The roles of various actors across public, private and non-profit sectors as enablers of sustainable development need to be explored to understand the social, economic and environmental (SEE) trends in Africa and its emerging and developing economies, as well as to chart the way forward for the continent. This third volume focuses on education as a tool to build a sustainable Africa. It explores the use of pedagogical approaches, learning resources, and policy implementation to develop African leaders and managers with a sustainability mindset that feeds into leadership decision-making, systemic change management, and efficient and sustainable transfers of knowledge and practice. The case stories from various academic institutions present practicable and innovative ideas for educating those who will lead sustainable development for Africa’s future. The African scope of the book is hinged on collaboration from authors across Africa and the inclusion of case stories from emerging economies in the five African subregions (East, West, North, Central and Southern Africa) within the chapters. The core message is that, to achieve effective and sustainable management and development for Africa, the practice of responsible leadership is critical.

Enough plastic is thrown away every year to circle the world 4 times More than 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans each year 300 million tonnes of new plastic is produced every year An estimated 15-51 trillion pieces of plastic now litter the world's oceans 38.5 million plastic bottles are used every day in the UK A million plastic bottles are used per minute around the world 500 million plastic straws are used per year Without big action, at the current rate, pieces of plastic will outnumber fish in the ocean by 2050. That is the legacy we are leaving our children and grandchildren. Plastic flows into our lives from every direction and most of it is not recycled. Instead it is incinerated or ends up in landfill, where it will sit for hundreds of years, or enters the world's seas where it fragments into tiny pieces to become microplastics - the environmental scourge of our times. Many of us had assumed that governments, brands and waste authorities were dealing with plastic on our behalf. But the impact of shows such as Blue Planet along with national beach cleans and high-profile campaigns have resulted in a collective wake-up call. If there were plans and strategies, they have not worked as we imagined. It would be easy to feel despondent but instead we need to turn our anger and emotion into action, starting by making a big dent in our own enormous consumption. Turning the tide on Plastic is here just in time. Journalist, broadcaster and eco lifestyle expert Lucy Siegle provides a powerful call to arms to end the plastic pandemic along with the tools we need to make decisive change. It is a clear-eyed, authoritative and accessible guide to help us to take decisive and effective personal action. Because this matters. When it comes to single-use plastics, we are habitual users, reaching out for plastic water bottles, disposable coffee cups, plastic straws and carrier bags multiple times a day. If only 12 of us adopt Lucy's 'reduce, rethink, refill, refuse' approach, we could potentially ditch 3K-15K single items of plastic in a year. When we consider our power as influencers - whether at school, the hairdressers, at work or on the bus - we suddenly become part of something significant. So now is the time to speak up, take action and demand the change you want to see in the ocean, in the supermarket aisles and on the streets. It's time to turn the tide on plastic, and this book will show you how.

Small island states have a big problem - the environmental consequences of climate change. This text introduces and explains the key environmental policy challenges and suggested responses to them.

Offers a multidisciplinary edited volume on policy dimensions of climate change for the world's oceans, for researchers, policymakers and activists.