Plastic Production Caps: Over 100 nations support limiting plastic production, but oil-producing countries like Saudi Arabia resist, focusing on plastic waste instead.
Ambition vs. Compromise: The draft treaty, presented by Luis Vayas Valdivieso, highlights unresolved issues, including production caps, hazardous plastics, and financial aid for developing nations.
Global Plastic Pollution Crisis: Plastic production is projected to triple by 2050, with microplastics already affecting air, food, and even breast milk.
Countries at Odds: Negotiators from nations like Fiji and Ghana demand ambitious goals, while petrochemical-producing nations use procedural delays.
Uncertain Outcome: Talks may extend as no consensus was reached, leaving countries to possibly form a coalition for ambitious action.
Negotiations for a global treaty on plastic pollution faced significant hurdles in Busan, South Korea. While over 100 countries, including Panama, Ghana, and Fiji, advocated for limiting plastic production, oil-producing nations like Saudi Arabia resisted, focusing instead on waste management. A draft treaty highlighted unresolved issues like production caps, hazardous plastic chemicals, and financial aid for developing nations. With plastic production expected to triple by 2050 and microplastics posing environmental and health risks, negotiators pushed for ambitious goals. However, procedural delays and lack of consensus may prolong talks, potentially leading to a coalition of willing nations pursuing independent progress.
Plastic Production Caps
On the final day of planned negotiations, uncertainty grew about finalizing an international agreement to reduce plastic pollution. More than 100 nations advocated for limiting production, while a small group of oil-producing countries insisted on addressing only plastic waste.
The last meeting of the U.N. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, aiming to produce a legally binding global treaty, was scheduled to conclude in Busan, South Korea, on Sunday.
Nonetheless, the plenary session to discuss a possible result did not commence until around 9 p.m. At 1200 GMT, the following text.
A treaty has the potential to be the most important agreement on protecting the environment and reducing climate-warming emissions since the 2015 Paris Agreement.
On Sunday, countries still had significant differences on the essential extent of the treaty. A proposal from Panama, supported by more than 100 nations, suggests establishing a goal for reducing global plastic production, while another suggestion omits production limits.
The flaw was evident in a new version of the document presented on Sunday by the meeting’s chair, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, which could serve as a treaty blueprint but still had numerous choices on key issues like limiting plastic production, handling hazardous plastic products and chemicals, and providing financial support for developing nations to comply with the treaty.
Certain negotiators and environmental organizations monitoring the discussions showed deep dissatisfaction.
“It’s calling for obligations, commitments from all parties if you’re pushing for a high, ambitious treaty,” stated.
Ghana
Dr. Sam Adu-Kumi, the main negotiator representing Ghana.
If the treaty is not ambitious, we will have to visit another location instead of Busan, according to Dr. Adu-Kumi’s statement to Reuters.
Fewer countries that produce petrochemicals, like Saudi Arabia, have vigorously objected to targeting plastic production and have attempted to defer negotiations using procedural tactics.
Saudi Arabia refrained from providing a prompt response.
According to data provider Eunomia, China, the United States, India, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia were the leading five primary polymer producing countries in 2023.
Fiji’s chief negotiator, Climate Minister Sivendra Michael, stated in a press conference that if you are not making a positive contribution or supporting ambitious treaty goals, then you should leave.
REMAINING
As the time for scheduled talks dwindled and agreement appeared unlikely, some negotiators and observers discussed openly the possible outcomes if negotiations failed or were prolonged to another session.
According to Mexico’s head of delegation, Camila Zepeda, the multilateral process can continue working towards the goal even if a legally-binding treaty is not achieved at Busan, as reported by Reuters.
She mentioned that a group of willing countries, comprising of more than a hundred nations, are ready to collaborate and begin working together towards progress.
A few negotiators claimed that certain countries were obstructing the progress by not making necessary compromises through the U.N.’s consensus process, where all member states must agree to pass a resolution without voting.
The National Delegate of Senegal, Cheikh Ndiaye Sylla, described the decision to exclude voting throughout the negotiations as a significant error, which was agreed upon last year during the second round of discussions in Paris.
Plastic production is set to triple by 2050, with microplastics discovered in the air, fresh fruits and vegetables, and even human breast milk.
The 2023 U.N. Environment Programme report identified over 3,200 concerning chemicals in plastics, noting that women and children were especially vulnerable to their harmful effects.
Sivendra stated that if the text lacks the elements of an ambitious treaty, they will continue to advocate for an ambitious treaty.
No one will depart Busan with a feeble agreement.
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