On Tuesday, negotiations on a convention to reduce plastic waste will resume in Geneva. To add on to that, communities all throughout the world are battling the obvious and hidden effects of plastic waste. The scope of the issue is astounding, ranging from microplastics in seafood to mountains of trashed packaging in rivers. The goal of the years-long international negotiations to solve this issue is to produce the first legally enforceable agreement to reduce plastic trash. In addition to cleaning up what is already in the environment, the objective is to decrease production and improve recycling systems.
Producer nations push back, casting doubt on the ambitious UN plastics accord
Hopes for a “last-chance” ambitious global treaty to curb plastic pollution have dimmed as delegates gather this week at the United Nations in Geneva for what was intended to be the final round of negotiations. Diplomats and climate advocates warn that efforts by the European Union and small island states to cap virgin plastic production, fuelled by petroleum, coal and gas, are threatened by opposition.
This opposition is from petrochemical-producing countries and the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump. Plastic production is set to triple by 2060 without intervention, choking oceans, harming human health and accelerating climate change, according to the OECD. Ilana Seid, permanent representative of Palau and chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), said,
“This is really our last best chance. As pollution grows, it deepens the burden for those who are least responsible and least able to adapt.”
Russia and Saudi Arabia are expected to object to key clauses of the plastics treaty
Delegates will meet officially from Tuesday for the sixth round of talks, after a meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) in South Korea late last year ended without a path forward on capping plastic pollution. The most divisive issues include capping production, managing plastic products and chemicals of concern, and financing to help developing countries implement the treaty.
Delegates told Reuters that oil states, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, plan to challenge key treaty provisions and push for voluntary or national measures, hindering progress toward a legally binding agreement to tackle the root cause of plastic pollution. Government spokespeople for Saudi Arabia and Russia were not immediately available for comment.
How the debate is being shaped by industry influence and political change
The influence of countries and businesses that produce oil is one of the treaty’s main obstacles. Petrochemicals are used to make plastics, and as the demand for fossil fuels is being threatened by the energy transition, the plastics industry has grown to be a significant source of revenue for oil producers. Strong lobbying attempts have been made to weaken or postpone any policies that could restrict output as a result of this economic reality.
Public safety is not only about plastics and pollution; there is more to it, even on the roads, where a country like China urges a balanced rollout of assisted-driving tech. However, back to the plastic issue, an environmental negotiator familiar with the talks expressed and said,
“Every watered-down clause is a missed chance to protect our oceans and communities.”
It comes as the Trump administration rolls back environmental policies, including a longstanding finding on greenhouse gas emissions endangering health. Over 1,000 delegates, including scientists and petrochemical lobbyists, will attend the talks, raising concerns among proponents of an ambitious agreement that industry influence may create a watered-down deal focused on waste management instead of production limits. Furthermore, the same Trump Administration that let go of consumer safety commission officials was backed by the Supreme Court regarding that decision.
GCN.com/Reuters