CERN technology showcased in context of UN Plastic Treaty discussions

AI data analysis techniques developed at CERN were showcased during a side event of
INC-5.2 — the United Nations intergovernmental negotiating committee currently meeting in
Geneva to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.

An event at CERN’s IdeaSquare held on 8 August demonstrated how citizen science and novel AI techniques developed at the Large Hadron Collider can contribute to combating plastic pollution. The IdeaSquare event was part of a programme of side events aimed at attendees of INC-5.2 — the second part of the fifth session of an intergovernmental negotiating committee established by the United Nations in 2022 to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, which is meeting in Geneva from 5-14 August.

In 2024 a European Union project called Edge SpAIce was established to use CERN’s expertise in data management to combat marine plastic litter. The aim of the project is to develop an on-board system for satellites that will make it possible to acquire and process high-resolution pictures using a deep neural network. The system will process data in near real-time directly on the satellite, mirroring the efficient filtering of data in particle detectors at the Large Hadron Collider.

The IdeaSquare event “Citizen Science and AI to combat plastic pollution”, which was organised by the Polarquest Association in partnership with Edge spAIce, included presentations and workshops by experts in citizen science, AI, marine biology, and geography. More than 70 delegates from the UN Plastic Treaty INC-5.2 session attended the event and also toured CERN’s facilities.

The unique combination of AI and citizen science promises to make monitoring and implementation of Plastic Treaty rules more efficient and accessible: AI can process thousands of satellite and drone images to map pollution in real time, while citizens can perform ground-truthing and can help AI systems learn and improve. “Together, they enable faster responses, smarter policies, and stronger community engagement in reducing plastic waste,” said speaker Rosy Mondardini, Director of Research at Citizen Science Zurich (UZH and ETH Zurich).

Marine biologist Stefano Aliani (CNR -ISMAR), who is a member of the International Science Council delegation at INC 5, drew attention to a petition signed by 450 independent experts from 65 countries expressing concern that a misrepresentation of the science behind plastic pollution could result in a treaty that is unable to protect future generations. For this “once-in-a-planet” opportunity to succeed, he said, “we have to ensure that science plays a pivotal role”.