Gabon is stepping up its efforts to combat plastic pollution. On Tuesday, the country launched its National Plastic Action Platform (NPAP), an initiative aimed at accelerating the transition to a circular economy and better structuring the fight against plastic waste.
Led by the Directorate General for the Environment and Nature Protection (DGEPN), in partnership with the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Gabon, the platform aims to bring together all relevant stakeholders around a common national strategy.
The NPAP will notably identify the regulatory, financial and operational priorities needed to establish a genuine circular economy market. It will also serve as a framework for strengthening coordination between public authorities, the private sector, development partners and other stakeholders.
Through this initiative, Gabon intends to develop a national roadmap for 2026-2030 to sustainably reduce plastic pollution, develop recycling infrastructure and encourage green investments.
"Gabon’s ambition is to build, by 2030, a model in which plastic is better designed, better collected and better recovered, without ever reaching our ecosystems,” said the Minister of Water and Forests, Environment and Climate, Maurice Ntossui Allogo.
Beyond waste management alone, the government wants to make the circular economy a driver of job creation and new economic opportunities. The platform will therefore aim to promote innovation, improve the mobilization of funding and ensure greater consistency between public policies and needs on the ground.
Plastic pollution is also a major concern for the UNDP. The organization’s Deputy Resident Representative in Gabon, Soahangy Mamisoa Rangers, warned of its consequences for terrestrial and marine ecosystems, as well as public health.
She called for increased mobilization of public and private investment to finance sustainable solutions and transform the NPAP into a genuine driver of collective action.
Gabon also holds a particular position in this initiative. It is presented as the first Central African country to join the Global Plastic Action Partnership, established by the World Economic Forum.
As the partnership’s national secretariat, UNDP Gabon will support consultations between the various stakeholders and ensure the operational coordination of the platform.
In the long term, the NPAP is expected to help strengthen recycling capacities, attract more green investment and intensify pollution cleanup operations in terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
With this new initiative, Gabon is thus demonstrating a clear ambition: to reduce plastic pollution while making the circular economy a driver of sustainable development by 2030.