Plastic pollution treaty talks hit rock bottom if laws should be binding – National
Negotiators working on an agreement to tackle the global problem of plastic pollution for a week in South Korea have failed to reach an agreement and plan to resume talks next year.
They are at loggerheads over whether an agreement should reduce total plastic on Earth and set global, legally binding controls on the toxic chemicals used to make plastics.
The talks in Busan, South Korea, were supposed to be the fifth and final round to produce the first legally binding agreement on plastic pollution, including in the ocean, by the end of 2024. But later on early Monday, negotiators agreed to continue talks next year. They don’t have firm plans yet.
More than 100 countries want the agreement to reduce production and address cleanup and recycling, and many say it’s important to address chemicals of concern. But in some countries that produce plastic and oil and gas, that crosses the red line.
For any proposal to enter into an agreement, all nations must agree to it. Some countries have sought to change the process so that decisions are taken by vote if consensus is not reached and the process is crippled. India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait and others are opposed to change, consensus is essential for an inclusive and effective agreement.
On Sunday, the last day of negotiations, the draft agreement still had many options for several key sections. Other delegates and environmental groups said that too much water had been reached, including African negotiators who said they would rather leave Busan without a deal than make a fragile deal.
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Every year, the world produces more than 400 million tons of new plastic. Plastic production could increase by nearly 70% by 2040 without policy changes.
In Ghana, communities, water, canals and farms are choked with plastic, and plastic dumps are constantly on fire, said Sam Adu-Kumi, the country’s lead coordinator.
“We are looking for an agreement that will be able to resolve it,” he said in an interview. “Otherwise we will go without it and come back to fight another time.”
In the meeting on Sunday night, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the chairman of the committee from Ecuador, said that although they are making progress in Busan, their work is far from finished and they must work properly. He said the countries are very different on proposals regarding problematic plastics and chemicals of concern, plastic production and financing of the agreement, and the terms of the agreement.
Valdivieso said the meeting should be stopped and continued later. Many countries are then thinking about what they should see in the agreement moving forward.
Rwanda’s lead negotiator, Juliet Kabera, said she spoke on behalf of 85 countries stressing that the agreement was always ambitious, fit for purpose and not built to fail, for the benefit of current and future generations. He asked everyone who supports this statement to “not stand up to ambition.” Many of the guests and audience stood up, clapping their hands.
The Panamanian delegation, which led the effort to include plastic production in the agreement, said it will come back strong, loud and determined.
A spokesman for Saudi Arabia said chemicals and plastic production are not covered by the agreement. Speaking for the Arab group, he said that if the world is talking about plastic pollution, there should not be a problem with plastic production. The Kuwait negotiator emphasized that, saying that the goal is to eliminate plastic pollution, not the plastic itself, and that extending authority beyond its original purpose erodes trust and goodwill.
In March 2022, 175 countries agreed to make the first legally binding agreement on plastic pollution, including in the ocean, by the end of 2024. This decision states that countries will establish a legally binding instrument worldwide on plastic pollution based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the complete life cycle of plastic.
Stewart Harris, spokesman for the International Council of Chemical Associations, said it was an incredibly ambitious timeline. He said the ICCA is hopeful that the governments can reach an agreement in the near future.
Most of the discussions in Busan took place behind closed doors. Environmental groups, indigenous leaders, communities affected by plastic pollution and scientists who visited Busan to help shape the deal say it should have been more transparent and they feel silenced.
“To a large extent, this is why the negotiation process is failing,” said Bjorn Beeler, international coordinator of the International Pollutants Elimination Network. “Busan has shown that this system is broken and he is just leaving.”
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said that although they did not get an agreement in Busan as many had hoped, their efforts brought the world closer to a joint solution to end plastic pollution around the world.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
