The latest research by Anne Bartel-Radic, Professor of Management Science and a member of the CERAG laboratory, focuses on the role of multinational corporations in managing plastic pollution in emerging economies, where waste infrastructure is limited. While these companies have made voluntary commitments to reduce their impact, these actions remain insufficient when undertaken alone. This thesis analyzes how multinational firms participate in collective actions to manage plastic pollution in emerging countries.

Based on a study of five cases in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam—using data collected by Corentin Gariel, a postdoctoral researcher at Sciences Po Grenoble - UGA—the research shows that multinational corporations are organizing themselves into “meta-organizations” to act collectively while continuing to use single-use plastics.

This topic was the focus of the latest “Research Forum” on March 24, moderated by Anne Bartel-Radic and Corentin Gariel, on the theme: “Plastic pollution in emerging countries: the role of multinational corporations.”