BUSAN, South Korea — On Monday, countries discussing a worldwide pact to reduce plastic pollution were unable to come to an agreement. While some oil producers were willing to focus just on plastic trash, over 100 countries wanted to cap output.
It was supposed to be the last conference of the U.N. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5), which met in Busan, South Korea, with the goal of producing a legally binding international treaty.
Countries could only agree to delay important decisions and restart negotiations, known as INC 5.2, to a later date because they were still at odds over the fundamentals of a treaty.
According to Inger Andersen, executive director of the U.N. Environment Program, it is evident that divergence is still present.
Limiting plastic manufacture, controlling plastic items and chemicals of concern, and providing funding to assist developing nations in implementing the pact were the most contentious problems.
More than 100 nations supported a Panamanian alternative that would have set a global goal to reduce plastic manufacturing, while another proposal did not contain production limitations.
The meeting’s chair, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, issued a new paper on Sunday that showed the fault lines. While it might serve as the foundation for a treaty, it was still rife with possibilities on the most delicate topics.
According to Juliet Kabera, director general of Rwanda’s Environment Management Authority, a pact that… solely depends on voluntary measures would not be acceptable.
It’s time to take it seriously and work out a treaty that works and isn’t designed to fail.
A few countries that produce petrochemicals, like Saudi Arabia, have been adamantly against attempts to cut back on plastic production and have attempted to stall talks through procedural means.
Abdulrahman Al Gwaiz, a representative from Saudi Arabia, stated that there was never any agreement. Despite our repeated insistence that they are outside the scope, a few articles appear to have made it (into the document).
According to data provider Eunomia, the top five countries in 2023 for the production of polymers were China, the United States, India, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia.
The treaty would have been among the most important environmental protection agreements since the 2015 Paris Agreement if these differences had been resolved.
Days have passed since the tumultuous finish of the COP29 meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, when the postponement was announced.
Small island governments and many developing nations view the agreement as woefully inadequate, but at Baku, nations set a new global goal of raising $300 billion a year in climate money.
Saudi Arabia also used procedural tactics to hold down the climate negotiations, protesting the inclusion of language that reiterated a prior promise to move away from fossil fuels.
According to some negotiators, a few nations controlled the negotiations, preventing the necessary compromises through the use of the U.N. consensus process.
Cheikh Ndiaye Sylla, Senegal’s national delegate, referred to the decision made last year during the second round of negotiations in Paris to exclude voting throughout the entire process as a grave error.
According to Chris Jahn, council secretary of the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), which represents plastic manufacturers, this result highlights the difficulty of tackling plastic pollution globally and the necessity of additional discussions to reach an effective, inclusive, and feasible treaty.
According to environmental group GAIA, there is little guarantee that the next INC will be successful in the same way that INC-5 was unsuccessful.
By 2050, the output of plastic is expected to triple, and microplastics have been discovered in fresh fruit, the air, and even human breast milk.
According to a 2023 U.N. Environment Program assessment, plastics include over 3,200 compounds that are of concern. Women and children are especially vulnerable to these chemicals’ toxicity.
Several negotiators showed urgency to resume discussions despite the setback.
Every day that passes without action is a day against humanity. Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez, the leader of Panama’s delegation, stated on Sunday that delaying talks does not resolve the situation.
The stakes will be bigger when we get back together.
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