Global Plastic Pollution Discussion Concludes Without Agreement on Global Plastic Treaty
The global negotiations aimed at a landmark treaty to address plastic pollution have fallen apart, leaving the future of the environment hanging in the balance. The talks, which were held in Geneva from August 5, have failed to produce a consensus despite the efforts of negotiators from 185 nations who worked beyond a deadline and through the night.
The stalemate was a failure for the environment and international diplomacy. Non-governmental environmental organizations warn that if the negotiation mechanism is not fundamentally reformed to allow more people's opinions to be reflected, future negotiations will likely end up in the same stalemate, and plastic waste will continue to threaten the environment.
The main obstacles preventing a treaty agreement include disagreement on whether the treaty should limit plastic production or focus on waste management. A large bloc, including the EU, UK, Canada, and several African and Latin American countries, wants to see a treaty that includes measures to reduce plastic production and phase out harmful chemicals in plastic. On the other hand, a smaller group, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United States, Iran, India, Vietnam, and others, emphasize waste management or oppose overly ambitious restrictions.
Conflict also arises over including controls on chemical additives used in plastics. The European Union has been pushing for an ambitious treaty that covers the entire lifecycle of plastics, including phasing out certain harmful products, while other countries resist such comprehensive measures.
Disputes on how ambitious and legally binding the treaty should be further complicate the negotiations. Some nations prefer softer commitments, while others, including many from the Global South and environmental groups, advocate for ambitious, comprehensive measures.
The requirement of consensus for treaty provisions also allows a few countries to block agreements. Some countries oppose changing this consensus system to allow decisions by vote, which could potentially break the impasse. Lobbying from fossil fuel and plastic industries has also influenced some delegations to stall on stronger measures.
Tuvalu, speaking for 14 Pacific small island developing states, expressed concern about plastic waste affecting their ecosystem, food security, livelihood, and culture. Cuba stated that a historic opportunity was missed but action is needed urgently. Countries voiced anger and despair, but said they wanted future negotiations.
The global treaty talks on plastic pollution collapsed last Friday. Bahrain hopes that the treaty will not penalize developing countries for their own resource development. The negotiations were organized by the United Nations Environment Programme.
As the world grapples with the mounting crisis of plastic pollution, pressure from many governments and NGOs remains to finalize an agreement that can be enforced worldwide. The collapse of the negotiations serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for action. With more than 400 million tonnes of plastic produced globally each year, only 9% is actually recycled, and the rest ends up in landfills, is incinerated, or becomes litter.
The chairman of the negotiations, Louis Wavesi, emphasized that the meeting was only a recess, not an end. He stated that countries and secretariats will work to find a suitable date and location to resume negotiations. The hope is that future negotiations will lead to a treaty that can effectively address the global plastic pollution crisis and protect our environment for future generations.
[1] [https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/un-envoy-urges-countries-reach-historic-plastics-treaty] [2] [https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/un-plastics-treaty-talks-collapse-leaving-environment-future-doubt-2021-08-14/] [3] [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-14/un-plastics-treaty-talks-collapse-as-disagreements-persist] [4] [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/14/un-plastics-treaty-talks-collapse-after-all-night-of-negotiations] [5] [https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58255422]
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