Plastics Remote Sensing Discovery Programme Workshop

Overview

Innovate UK, Innovate UK KTN, The Satellite Applications Catapult, and the Arribada Initiative have created a series of scoping activities to gather information on how remote sensing is used to understand, monitor, and mitigate plastic litter. The scoping activities include a survey and series of webinars to gather information on the current challenges surrounding remote sensing techniques for plastic litter studies and the challenges of policy making.

We define “remote sensing” as ‘obtaining information about objects or areas from a distance, typically from satellites or drones’ and “plastic litter” as ‘plastic products that have been discarded, disposed of, or abandoned’.

Survey

If you wish to participate, please complete this online questionnaire. The 15-question survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. To increase the effectiveness and scope of our questionnaire, we actively encourage you to pass it onto relevant peers and colleagues.

About the event

The presence of plastic litter is now recognised as a global environmental, social and economic issue. Remote sensings large spatial coverage and ability to collect data in remote areas have the potential to advance our understanding of plastic litter pervasiveness and how to combat it. However, successfully understanding and mitigating plastic litter requires an alignment between researchers, policy makers, and funders. Therefore, conversations between representatives from the sectors of intervention, innovation and policy are key.

Innovate UK, Innovate UK KTN, The Satellite Applications Catapult, and the Arribada Initiative have created this collaborative workshop to gather information on how remote sensing is used to understand, monitor, and mitigate plastic litter.

This workshop will bring together experts from three key sectors to discuss:

• Innovation: What advances in remote sensing technology and data analysis are needed to improve our understanding and monitoring of plastic litter?
• Policy: How do the results of remote sensing studies inform policies or guidance aimed at combating plastic litter and what kinds of information would help drive new policies?
• Intervention: Where is additional funding or collaboration most needed to reform the use of remote sensing for the plastic litter issue and its integration with policy making?

Who is the event for?

• Government
• Industry/business
• NGO
• Academia/research institution

Agenda

• Introduction to the Remote sensing and plastic litter workshop by UK KTN, Catapult Satellite Applications and Arribada Initiative
• Expert presentations representing the three sectors:
  • Innovation: horizon scan of current, developing and future remote sensing technologies, methods and emerging opportunities to monitor plastic litter.
  • Policy: case studies illustrating the connection between remote sensing studies and informed management decisions and policy making, such as the establishment of the UN Convention on Plastic Pollution.
  • Intervention: cast studies identifying key intervention opportunities reliant on innovation and policy making to address plastic litter monitoring through remote sensing.
• Live Q&A
• Three break-out sessions focused on Innovation, Policy and Intervention
• Full panel and attendee discussion on the connections between Innovation, Policy, and Intervention,  in addition to how the next steps might be best implemented.