Richard Thompson OBE FRS is Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Plymouth. He a leading expert on plastic pollution; his team are at the forefront of research on its impacts and potential interventions. Their work has directly informed policies and was recognised by a Queens Anniversary Prize in 2020. He is a founder member and co-coordinator of the Scientists Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty; a group of over 400 scientists across 63 countries. Members of the Coalition are free of conflicts of interest with Treaty outcomes and work to supply the best available evidence to inform negotiations.