What can 30 climate action plans and 90 urban initiatives reveal about tackling plastic pollution? Explore the lessons in ICLEI’s new handbook, launching at COP31 on 16 November.

Plastic pollution and climate change are closely connected, yet cities often address them through separate policies. Plastics generate greenhouse gas emissions throughout their lifecycle, while their production, consumption and disposal create challenges for urban infrastructure, ecosystems and public health.

The new handbook aims to help local and subnational governments bridge this gap by integrating plastic circularity into their existing Climate Action Plans (CAPs), particularly in cities taking their first steps toward addressing these challenges together.

Drawing on an analysis of approximately 30 urban Climate Action Plans and 90 urban initiatives, the handbook explores a central question: How can cities move beyond conventional waste management and integrate plastic circularity into their climate strategies? Building on ICLEI’s Circular City Actions Framework, it offers practical guidance to help local governments identify opportunities and turn them into action.

It provides practical guidance for assessing local plastic waste and pollution, identifying policy measures and incorporating circularity into climate planning. A policy toolbox, sector-specific action matrices and real-world examples from cities across different regions help practitioners identify interventions suited to their local circumstances.

The handbook promotes a lifecycle approach that prioritizes plastic pollution prevention, reduction and reuse, extending beyond conventional waste management and recycling.

Launch at COP31

The handbook will be presented during the session “Ending Plastics Pollution Across the Plastics Lifecycle: The Power of Alignment and Collaboration,” organized by the Local and Subnational Governments Coalition to End Plastics Pollution.

The discussion will explore how local and subnational governments can contribute to shaping and implementing a future global plastics treaty, including through stronger multilevel collaboration, financing and capacity building. 

Join us on 16 November 2026 at 15:00–16:00 (GMT+3). Venue: Multilevel Action Pavilion, COP31 Blue Zone, Antalya, Türkiye.

The handbook will be available following its launch at COP31. Subscribe to ICLEI’s iNews to receive updates on its publication and access to the resource once released.