With up to 12 million tonnes of plastic entering our oceans every year, marine plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. It is a problem without a silver bullet and addressing it in an effective manner requires the involvement of all. Governments need to legislate, the private sector needs to innovate and citizens need to be engaged and aware.

This is why UN Environment, in partnership with Open University and as part of the Clean Seas campaign, is launching its third massive open online course on marine litter. Building on our two previous courses, this third edition provides an updated take on the issue, presenting the latest knowledge and scientific insights, and takes into account feedback from some of our former students.

The course will teach you what you need to know to address marine litter in your community and how to inspire others to take action as well. Just as with our previous courses, this new edition provides two different opportunities for learning: a two-week leadership track offering an overview of the issue, and an eight-week expert track for a more in-depth look at the topic.

The course is available in all six UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. If the course is not offered in your language and you would like to help us translate it, we would very much like to hear from you! You can contact us at [email protected] .

The course starts on 29 April and you can enroll here.