In September 2021, Foley Hoag partnered with the Global Council for Science and the Environment (GCSE) and the American College of Environmental Lawyers (ACOEL) on a collaborative research effort designed to compare French and U.S. legal frameworks for regulating plastic pollution. Over the last six months, a team of international environmental lawyers analyzed the existing policies, regulations, and legislation in France and the U.S. that directly and indirectly regulate plastic pollution; assessed proposed bills and pending legislation; and developed a comprehensive assessment of how these laws and policies seek to reduce plastic in the environment and contribute to a more circulate economy.

The results of this analysis will be presented at the International Summit on Plastic Pollution, From Research to Action: Responding to Plastic Pollution through Science, to be held at Long Island University in New York City on April 5-6, 2022. The Summit, which is co-hosted by GCSE, the French Embassy Office of Science and Technology and Long Island University, builds on the first French-U.S. workshop held in 2019, Responding to Plastic Pollution through Science: from Research to Action, by advancing the on-going work of French and U.S. universities and research institutions focused on making the science of plastic pollution accessible to decision-makers.

The Summit is an opportunity for further education and collaboration among all those concerned about the proliferation of plastics in our environment. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn from research institutions and universities, representatives from the French Parliament and Embassy, and U.S. Congressional representatives about the global reach of plastic pollution and how transatlantic collaboration can drive meaningful changes in the pace of plastic pollution today.

Register here for free: https://liu.edu/plastic-pollution-summit

View the schedule here: https://liu.edu/plastic-pollution-summit/schedule

Foley Hoag attorneys provided legal research and analysis on behalf of its pro-bono client, GSCE (formerly the National Council for Science and the Environment), in collaboration with other lawyers who are ACOEL fellows. Foley Hoag partners Seth Jaffe and Carine Le Roy-Gleizes led the Foley Hoag team, with contributions from associates Sarah Main and Alice Messin-Roizard.