Invitation to Join the Marine Plastic Litter Global Industry Alliance (GIA)

Businesses operating in the shipping and fisheries sectors are invited to express their interest in joining the Marine Plastic Litter Global Industry Alliance (GIA). This initiative, managed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), aims to unite industry leaders to develop innovative solutions to prevent and reduce ocean plastics, while addressing common barriers to the uptake of technologies and alternative approaches.

Objectives and Management

The Marine Plastic Litter GIA, part of IMO’s OceanLitter Programme, will replace the previous project-specific GIA under the GloLitter Partnerships project. It aims to include a wide range of maritime stakeholders such as shipowners, ports, the fisheries industry, recycling companies, technology and data providers, and class societies. The alliance will focus on marine plastic litter originating from the shipping and fisheries sectors.

Activities and Outputs

Members will engage in regular meetings to share knowledge and expertise, participate in roundtable dialogues, develop industry guidelines and tools, and raise awareness of potential green solutions through studies and other activities. Outputs from these activities will be shared with IMO bodies like the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) and the London Convention/Protocol.

Eligibility Criteria

Membership is limited to industry companies, defined as:

• Individual, for-profit, commercial businesses or companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and cooperatives.
• State-owned enterprises that operate as commercial businesses or companies.
• Corporate foundations directly funded and/or governed by businesses.

Business associations, public sector entities, or academia are not eligible for formal membership but may be invited to participate in specific activities.

Requirements for Membership

To be considered for membership, companies should demonstrate:

• Commitment to addressing sea-based sources of marine plastic litter (SBMPL).
• Willingness to actively engage and contribute.
• High-level commitment, including financial and in-kind technical contributions.

Submission of Expression of Interest (EOI)

Companies interested in joining should submit an EOI of no more than two pages, including:

• Rationale for joining the Marine Plastic Litter GIA.
• Current initiatives addressing marine plastic litter within the company.
• Details on potential technical expertise or contributions (minimum of 25 days per year of in-kind technical expertise expected).
• Confirmation of the annual membership fee of $20,000.
• Any other relevant information.

Further information is available in IMO Circular Letter 4877, accessible via IMODOCS.

Contact Information

EOIs should be submitted by email to [email protected] by the closing date of September 2, 2024.

For queries, please contact the OceanLitter Programme Coordination Unit under the Subdivision for Partnerships and Projects, Technical Cooperation and Implementation Division at IMO at [email protected].