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* Atleast Project Title is Required.
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Project No. |
OFWG 01 2018A
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Project Title |
Update of 2009 APEC Report on Economic Costs of Marine Debris to APEC Economies
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Project Status |
Completed Project
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Publication (if any) |
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Fund Account |
APEC Support Fund
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Sub-fund |
ASF: General Fund
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Project Year |
2018
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Project Session |
Session 1
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APEC Funding |
150,000
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Co-funding Amount |
46,472
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Total Project Value |
196,472
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Sponsoring Forum |
Oceans and Fisheries Working Group (OFWG)
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Topics |
Fisheries; Marine Conservation; Oceans
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Committee |
SOM Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (SCE)
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Other Fora Involved |
Chemical Dialogue (CD)
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Other Non-APEC Stakeholders Involved |
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Proposing Economy(ies) |
United States
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Co-Sponsoring Economies |
Chile; China; Japan; Korea; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Russia; Thailand
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Expected Start Date |
01/07/2018
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Expected Completion Date |
31/08/2019
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Project Proponent Name 1 |
Nicholas Austin (wef 3 December 2019)
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Job Title 1 |
Foreign Affairs Officer
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Organization 1 |
US Department of State
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Postal Address 1 |
2201 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520, USA
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Telephone 1 |
1-202 6473073
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Fax 1 |
Not Applicable
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Email 1 |
AustinND2@state.gov
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Project Proponent Name 2 |
Heather Coll
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Job Title 2 |
Not Applicable
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Organization 2 |
US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
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Postal Address 2 |
Not Applicable
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Telephone 2 |
Not Applicable
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Fax 2 |
Not Applicable
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Email 2 |
heather.coll@noaa.gov
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Declaration |
Nicholas Austin and Heather Coll
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Project Summary |
Marine debris has significant impacts on fisheries, tourism, shipping and other APEC economy industries, with disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations, including women and youth. In 2009, one of the precursor groups to the OFWG published the report, Understanding the Economic Benefits and Costs of Controlling Marine Debris in the APEC Region, estimating marine debris cost APEC economies almost $1.3 billion USD per year. Experts estimate 80 percent of marine debris, also referred to as marine litter, comes from land-based sources, largely mismanaged plastic waste. This project aims to update the economic impacts to APEC economies, provide policy makers with additional information regarding the importance of addressing marine litter and waste management, and provide policy recommendations to help reduce the amount of litter leaking into our ocean. A wide range of stakeholders will be consulted on the most effective and efficient measures to manage marine debris in the APEC region.
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Relevance |
Relevance – Region: Marine debris, referring mostly to marine plastic pollution from land-based sources, but also including sea-based sources such as abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear, or waste from ships, is recognized as a global priority for action by the international community. Marine debris affects developing economies in APEC with substantial economic impacts to fisheries, tourism, shipping, and related industries, in addition to threatening food security and human health. The project will benefit all APEC economies, but especially developing economies in APEC that are the source of the majority of plastic waste leaking into the ocean and stand to benefit the most from policy decisions leading to sustainable practices and improved waste management infrastructure. Over 80% of ocean plastic comes from land-based sources with over half of the material leaked into the ocean coming from five rapidly developing economies within APEC, where production and consumption of plastics is outpacing local waste management capacity. The United Nations Environment Assembly, G7, and G20 have joined APEC in recognizing that to prevent and reduce marine plastic pollution, we must invest in improved municipal solid waste management, with a focus on emerging economies with large populations near rivers and coastlines. Relevance – Eligibility: The project will support many of the ASF General Support Fund priority themes. 1) Updating the socio-economic costs of marine debris to APEC economies safeguards the quality of life of APEC members by encouraging environmentally sound growth through informing policy makers of the most effective and efficient measures to reduce marine plastic pollution and minimize the detrimental effects of poor waste management, including transmission of disease and other threats to human health. 2) The project will strengthen APEC economic infrastructure by building the capacity of policy makers to attract private capital to much-needed waste management and related infrastructure, particularly in developing economies, to reduce land-based sources of marine debris. 3) The updated report will develop and strengthen Small and Medium Enterprises by highlighting its crucial role in the waste collection, recycling, and disposal fields. Effective management of marine debris will also strengthen the artisanal fisheries sectors that are harmed by coastal pollution. Women and youth are also disproportionately involved in waste management SMEs and would benefit from better understanding of the socio-economic costs of marine debris to the broader APEC economies. 4) The project will promote development of knowledge-based APEC economies through publication and endorsement of an APEC-sourced report drawing on data from all participating APEC economies. Relevance – Capacity Building: The project will build the capacity of APEC economies (especially developing economies) and improve economic and social well-being by informing APEC policy makers and civil societies of the costs of marine debris to their individual economies, and recommend the most effective and efficient measures to prevent and reduce marine debris. The project will build APEC member economies’ capacity to manage marine debris and will look at both short- and medium-term solutions APEC economies can deploy. Due to the global and pervasive nature of marine debris, a solution will require years of coordinated action by APEC members in close collaboration with the international community, including other regional and global fora, civil society, and private industry. The project targets capacity-building needs by providing information to help economies take policy measures and develop waste management infrastructure and engage in private-public-partnerships. The project also provides opportunities to vulnerable populations such as women and youth, as well as micro, small-, and medium- sized enterprises crucial to the development of innovative solutions to marine debris. |
Objectives |
1) Develop an updated report/study on the economic impacts of marine debris in APEC economies to include a cost-benefit analysis of potential interventions and policy recommendations based on that analysis. 2) Follow-up on several of the recommendations made in the 2009 study, including: a) Convene marine affairs and ocean-related ministries with municipal and economy-wide government authorities in charge of land-based waste management to incorporate marine debris prevention strategies in solid waste management plans (recommendation #1). b) Identify major urban marine debris “hot spots” that may benefit from targeted marine debris control (recommendation #12). c) Evaluate the technical effectiveness and operational costs of marine litter devices such as river traps and harbor booms (recommendation #11). 3) Develop a network of engaged officials in APEC economies and improve internal interagency coordination. |
Alignment |
Alignment - APEC: The project directly responds to directions provided by APEC Leaders and Ministers in recent years: “We recognize the lack of effective solid waste management infrastructure imposes great socio-economic and environmental costs, and we encourage further work on this topic.” (2016 APEC Leaders Statement) “Recognizing the health and environmental concerns created by the large and rapidly increasing amount of plastic litter in the ocean from land-based sources and an insufficient waste management system which is not attracting the attention of investors, we endorse the Policy and Practice Recommendations of the APEC High-Level Meeting on Overcoming Barriers to Financing Waste management Systems to Prevent Marine Litter in the Asia Pacific Region.” (2016 APEC Ministerial Statement) “We encourage all economies and stakeholders, particularly the private sector, to engage in ocean – related cooperation, including investment in sustainable materials management and waste management infrastructure, to reduce land based sources of marine debris in APEC.” … “We urge economies to strengthen coordination and cooperation through sharing best practices, and deploying advanced technologies, including waste recycling.” (2017 APEC Ministerial Statement) This project will contribute to the priorities established by APEC Ministers and Leaders by helping to advance the policy and practice recommendations endorsed in 2016, particularly those related to interagency coordination. The project will also engage the private sector as directed in 2017 and provide policy makers with data and evidence to support increased attention and resources for marine debris abatement programs and solid waste management infrastructure development. Alignment – Forum: The project directly answers five of seven OFWG priority areas in the 2018 workplan. The project will: 1) facilitate Free and Open Trade and Investment by encouraging policy changes to attract Public Private Partnerships to reduce land-based sources of marine litter and create a more enabling environment for infrastructure investment; 2) promote Sustainable Development and Protection of the Marine Environment by recommending the most effective and efficient measures to combat marine debris; 3) further Food Security by quantifying the cost of marine debris on coastal fish habitats, artisanal fisheries and aquaculture and encouraging countermeasures; 4) quantify the impact of catastrophic marine debris events such as typhoons and tsunamis and encourage policy changes towards Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Resilience; and 5) further “sustainable use of the marine environment in Blue Economy.” The project also supports the workplan and terms of reference of the Virtual Working Group on Marine Debris which calls for the development of sustainable land-based waste management systems and shared goal #2 of the Chemical Dialogue to ‘promote understanding of the chemical industry’s role as a provider of innovative solutions for sustainable economic, environmental, and social development. |
TILF/ASF Justification |
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Beneficiaries and Outputs |
Outputs: The project will consist of three primary outputs: 1) Regional stakeholders meeting: to convene relevant officials in charge of marine environment and waste management. The meeting will serve to connect officials in these ministries, provide an opportunity to discuss the economic costs of marine debris in the APEC region and how to best capture that information, highlight the need for interagency coordination and identify economy focal points to provide relevant data and determine areas of focus. 2) Network of engaged officials and private sector stakeholders: the project will develop a network of officials and private sector stakeholders to help develop the updated report and share information on marine debris abatement strategies and specifically waste management infrastructure development. The project will build from and communicate through the existing network under APEC’s Virtual Working Group on Marine Debris and the Trash Free Seas Alliance. These groups include industry associations representing plastic manufacturers, consumer goods manufacturers and other downstream users of plastics, academic experts, and non-governmental organizations involved in addressing marine debris. Private sector stakeholders will be invited as expert speakers at the regional stakeholders meeting and will be included in follow-up reporting activities. In order to increase the sustainability and likelihood for success the network will build upon the existing network established in 2014 as part of the APEC Virtual Working Group on Marine Debris. The group regularly updates the APEC Chemical Dialogue and APEC Ocean and Fisheries Working Group at its meetings and was recently invited by APEC Finance Ministers to brief officials on its efforts to develop waste management infrastructure in SE Asia. The network will benefit APEC economies and the broader community by sharing best practices and innovative initiatives that may be replicated and scaled up across APEC economies. 3) Updated report/study and recommendations: The report will focus on updates to the three recommendations from the 2009 report most relevant to APEC policy makers including 1) that joint action between marine agencies and municipal and government authorities in charge of land waste is needed to reduce land debris and hence marine debris; 2) that APEC should identify and prioritize marine debris hotspots for additional work; and 3) that APEC explore the effectiveness and operational costs of litter devices such as litter traps and harbor booms. The report will be based on desktop research and inputs from the aforementioned network and economy stakeholders. We anticipate the report to include the following: a) An introduction and summary of recent publications and studies detailing the source and composition of marine debris[1] b) An analysis of the contribution of the marine economy sector to APEC economies c) An economic and environmental cost-benefit analysis of various interventions[2] d) An inventory and evaluation of new technologies and solutions that have been developed in the waste management sector as well as innovations developed to trap litter before it reaches the ocean (e.g. river traps and harbor booms) e) Case studies on the economics of marine debris control programs in APEC economies f) Case studies of programs that have specifically targeted female engagement in waste management and marine litter issues. g) Recommended solutions to address marine debris challenges and policy levers to enable their use[3] Outcomes:
Near-term 1) Increase the priority of marine debris and waste management programs. The project intends to provide policy makers from different ministries (marine affairs, tourism, environment, transportation, etc.) with additional information so that the costs of marine debris and the benefits of countermeasures including improved solid waste management are quantified and better understood. As a result of this improved understanding, we expect officials to give higher priority to marine debris and waste management efforts. 2) Improve coordination between marine and ocean ministries and ministries of environment. Previous studies from McKinsey and the Ocean Conservancy, as well as statements from the United Nations Environment Programme, G7, G20, and APEC, have identified investment in effective land-based waste management in low-income economies to represent the most cost-effective and immediately practicable solution to reducing marine litter in the short-term. While ministries of environment and municipal governments often oversee waste management, ocean-related ministries often have oversight for marine debris. We intend to use the stakeholder meeting and the resulting stakeholder network to increase coordination between these ministries and other ministries impacted by marine debris, in addition to encouraging a cooperative network of relevant ministries across APEC economies. Medium-term 3) APEC economies incorporate marine debris considerations into solid waste management plans and waste management into marine and coastal plans. Marine debris and waste management are inextricably linked; however, currently the two issues are often not considered together during the policy making process. Through efforts to improve coordination amongst various ministries, it is hoped that waste management will be included in coastal/marine plans and strategies, marine transportation strategies, sustainable tourism strategies, and other relevant strategies and policies. Likewise, the project is intended to promote the incorporation of marine debris considerations into solid waste management plans. 4) Development of new partnerships and initiatives to address marine debris. Improved coordination between ministries may also promote the development of new partnerships and initiatives. The stakeholder network will also allow for best practices to be disseminated. These partnerships may also include Public-Private Partnerships and will provide additional opportunities for the private sector to engage with goverments to develop solutions to marine litter. For example, a recommendation from the aforementioned 2009 study was to work within the maritime sector to establish effective take-back systems for recovering waste and recyclable materials from fishing, shipping, and tourism activities which will require engagement from multiple government ministries and stakeholders to implement. 3) Beneficiaries: Developing economies in Southeast Asia that bear the brunt of the cost of marine debris will be the primary beneficiaries, although all economies will benefit from reduced flow of transboundary litter to domestic coastlines. OFWG delegates will be asked to determine an appropriate economy point of contact. APEC economy officials engaged in related work streams through the APEC Virtual Working Group on Marine Debris will also be contacted to help provide recommendations for appropriate officials. We anticipate most economies will send one official with responsibilities for marine litter (typically are based within an ocean-related ministry) and one official with responsibilities for waste management (typically from ministries of environment). Project proponents will work to distribute relevant information to other APEC working groups including the APEC Chemical Dialogue, the APEC Tourism Working Group, the APEC Transportation Working Group, APEC Policy Partnership on Food Security, Energy Working Group, etc. As SMEs have a crucial role in waste collection, and recycling efforts will be made to engage stakeholders that represent waste management SMEs as possible speakers at the regional stakeholder meeting so as to include their input into the proceedings. The results from the meeting may also be distributed to the SMEWG assuming that relevant information is generated. Efforts will be made to encourage female participation as both speakers and participants, this will be made explicit in the invitations to the regional stakeholder meeting. The POs will strive for gender parity however if female participation falls below 30% the POs will take positive action to increase female participation. Officials will benefit from the networking opportunities as well as the empirical data generated within the report and best practices and recommendations that are distributed. As noted above, the private sector will benefit from this work through increased opportunities to engage with governments. This will increase transparency and better enable the private sector to contribute solutions and provide expert analysis and advice on proposed recommendations. |
Dissemination |
The updated study will be shared with the Ocean and Fisheries Working Group, the APEC Virtual Working Group on Marine Debris, and the APEC Chemical Dialogue. Assuming that relevant material is generated regarding the role and benefit of the marine economy to the tourism and transportation sectors the report will also be distributed to the TWG and TPTWG. Should relevant information for SMEs be generated or specific case studies that highlight gender issues be developed the study will also be disseminated to the SMEWG and PPWE. Additionally, as part of the stakeholder network the project proponents have existing relationships with groups such as the Indonesia Waste Platform which work with SME waste collectors, these groups have previously shown a willingness to disseminate information to their network and post materials on their websites which will further disseminate the information. The study will also be posted on the APEC project database and, once finalized, on the APEC publications page. The study and other written outputs associated with this project will be publically available and presented to the Secretariat in a standard of English which requires no further copy-editing. The study will be distributed and published as an APEC publication prepared in accordance with the Guidebook on APEC Projects, the APEC Publication Guidelines and the APEC Logo Guidelines. Where contracted labour is used to produce reports or other written outputs, contractor terms of reference will state that all will be presented in a level of English fit for publication and require no further copy-editing by the APEC Secretariat. If an author (PO or contractor) is unable to fulfill this requirement, a copy editor will edit the public documents related to this project to ensure that language nuances are checked and the quality is within the APEC standard. The target audience will be government officials from ocean and fisheries, environment, tourism, transportation, and other relevant ministries. Some hard copies may be made available at relevant meetings; however, most of the distribution will be made via digital copies. |
Gender |
Women are becoming increasingly engaged in marine and coastal conservation efforts and solid waste management activities and there is a particularly high concentration of women operating in the informal sector. The POs will seek to incorporate women as speakers and participants. If female participation falls below 30% the POs will take positive action to increase female participation. The POs will also consult with colleagues in USAID who have worked on women’s empowerment and job creation in the solid waste management sector as part of the USAID-funded municipal waste recycling program. This work has looked at the role of women in environmental management and these colleagues can provide strategies for increasing female participation in the workshop. While the 2009 study did not consider any female perspectives or roles in marine litter we will have the contractor in charge of developing the study look into the issue. |
Work Plan |
| Timeline | Activity | Output | | End July 2018 | Development of RFP for study | | | End July 2018 | Development of draft agenda and invitations for stakeholder meeting | | | August 2018 | RFP is posted on APEC website | | | August 2018 | Invitations and draft agenda for stakeholder meeting are distributed | participant list agenda | | End August / Early September 2018 | Contractor for study is selected | contract | | September 2018 | Convene stakeholder meeting | stakeholder meeting | | October2018 | Develop stakeholder network and begin process of collecting information from identified focal points | stakeholder network | | November 2018 – May 2019 | Develop draft of study (perform desk top research, review and synthesize input from APEC economies and key stakeholders). | | | February 2019 | Provide update at relevant APEC meetings on margins of SOM1 (Ocean and Fisheries, Chemical Dialogue, and other relevant groups that convene on the margins of SOM 1). | | | May 2019 | Draft study is circulated to stakeholder network and relevant APEC working groups. | | | May 2019 – June 2019 | Comments on study are incorporated and study is finalized. | study | | July 2019 | Study is distributed to relevant groups and posted on APEC website. | | | July 2019 – October 2019 | Outcomes from study are presented at relevant meetings (Ocean and Fisheries Working Group, Chemical Dialogue, other relevant groups meeting on the margins of SOM3, APEC Oceans Ministerial Meeting (TBC)). | presentation | | November 2019 | Work recognized in APEC Ministerial and Leaders Meeting statements (TBC) | | | Within 2 months from project end date | Drafting, endorsement and submission of the Completion Report and all supporting documents to the Secretariat | Completion report and all supporting documents | | 6 to 12 months after project end date | Participation in the Long Term Evaluation of APEC Projects conducted by the Secretariat, as required by all APEC funded projects. | Evaluation |
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Risks |
| Risk | Management Strategy | | Inability to find suitable contractor | In addition to posting RFP on the APEC website, POs will notify potential candidates of the opportunity and seek advice from additional experts in the field for possible contractors. | | Inability to find suitable location to host stakeholder meeting | POs will work with local officials in potential meeting locations to find a suitable location. | | Lack of interest by target beneficiaries | The project was co-sponsored by eight economies and marine litter is now being considered at high-levels in multiple fora including the UN, G7 and G20. Thus, we think there will be significant interest, the challenge will be finding appropriate officials to contribute to the discussion. | | Inability to secure appropriate officials. | The contact group of the Ocean and Fisheries Working Group and the APEC Virtual Working Group on Marine Debris will be used to identify appropriate officials. POs will also reach out to participants in previous related events to identify the participants and speakers that will contribute most to the proceedings. | | Inability to secure participation from the broad range of officials required to address marine debris | POs will work with the APEC Secretariat to utilize travel assistance funding for as many government officials as possible. | |
Monitoring and Evaluation |
Indicators to measure the project’s success will include: 1) the number of participants at the stakeholder meeting and the number that engage in the stakeholder network and provide relevant information for the study (two participants from each travel eligible economy will be targeted together with one official from developed economies). 2) the number of women participants and speakers (a minimum of 30%) 3) feedback from the stakeholder meeting, (the POs will distribute a survey at the completion of the meeting to solicit feedback and will strive for 100% completion). 4) the quality of the study and the recommendations (the POs will solicit feedback from subject matter experts in government, academia and the private sector regarding the quality and usefulness of the study, longer term analysis via the established network will track which of the recommendations have been implemented). 5) the new partnerships that are developed (we would like to see at least one new partnership developed by the time the completion report is submitted and additional partnerships in subsequent years) 6) the number of economies that incorporate marine debris issues into their solid waste management plans (there may not be enough time for actual plans to be amended before the completion report is submitted but we would like to get a commitment from at least one economy to amend their plans based on the workshop). 7) the number of additional ministries that advocate for marine debris abatement programs and improved waste management (we aim to have at least two economies make public statements regarding the importance of addressing waste management and marine litter before the completion report is submitted). 8) recognition of the work by APEC Ministers and/or Leaders. The POs intend to use the stakeholder network that is developed together with existing contact groups through the OFWG and APEC Virtual Working Group on Marine Debris to follow-up with economies on implementation of the study recommendations. |
Linkages |
The project is a cross-fora collaboration between the Ocean and Fisheries Working Group and the Chemical Dialogue. The work will build off efforts from the APEC Virtual Working Group on Marine Debris. The project will build on previous APEC projects including: · CD 01 2015S – Addressing Marine Debris Through Pilot Projects To Design Economically Sustainable Waste Management Infrastructure. . OFWG 02 2016S – Overcoming Barriers to Financing Waste Management Systems · OFWG 02 2017S – Developing Public-Private Partnerships to Support Waste Management Infrastructure and Reduce Marine Litter. These projects helped to develop and promote the implementation of the APEC Policy and Practice Recommendations on Overcoming Barriers to Financing Waste Management Systems and Reducing Marine Litter. The proposed work will look to advance those efforts by advancing implementation of the PPRs and specifically the recommendations regarding development of data and increasing coordination between government ministries. APEC’s focus on the economic aspects of issues; its ability to convene a wide range of stakeholders including officials from trade, foreign affairs, environment, oceans and fisheries, and transportation among others; its ability to work with academia and the private sector and its ongoing efforts to reduce marine debris through the APEC Virtual Working Group on Marine Debris; give APEC a comparative advantage compared to other international groups. Additionally, APEC has the top five contributors to marine debris as member economies. |
Sustainability |
Upon completion of the project, a network of engaged stakeholders will have been created. Using this network, together with the APEC Virtual Working Group on Marine Debris, will enable the POs to continue to provide updates, information, and best practices, and to follow up on implementation of the study’s recommendations. The information will be primarily distributed via email and through presentations at the OFWG and CD meetings; occasional teleconference calls may also be held. This work will be presented at APEC Working Groups throughout the year and it is anticipated that additional, similar projects will be developed in subsequent years to follow up on relevant recommendations. |
Project Overseers |
Min Kang is a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State. He is the head of delegation for the United States for the APEC Ocean and Fisheries Working Group and leads international efforts on marine debris for the United States. Jen Salerno is a Foreign Affairs Officer at the U.S. Department of State. She is also an American Association for the Advancement of Science Policy Fellow and has a Ph.D. in marine microbiology. |
Cost Efficiency |
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Drawdown Timetable |
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Direct Labour |
An open tender process via an RFP will be undertaken to select a consultancy to develop the aforementioned study. The role of the contractor will be to conduct the desk research, develop the stakeholder network and consult with relevant parties, hold conference calls and other coordinating activities with relevant stakeholders from APEC economies as well as with the project overseers. The contractor will also develop the updated study, revise the study per the comments received and develop a final publication quality version, to include the engagement of a copy editor to read and edit the document to ensure that language nuances are checked and the quality of the report is within the APEC standard. |
Waivers |
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Are there any supporting document attached? |
No
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Attachments
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