Negotiators working on a treaty to address global plastic pollution ended their latest round of talks without a deal, announcing that they will resume negotiations next year.
The meeting in Busan, South Korea, was the fifth and final round of negotiations aimed at producing the world’s first legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, including in oceans, by the end of 2024. However, the countries involved couldn’t agree on key issues, including whether the treaty should reduce total plastic on Earth and establish global, legally binding controls on toxic chemicals used in plastic production.
More than 100 countries want the treaty to limit plastic production, while some plastic-producing and oil and gas countries are resistant to such a move.
For any proposal to become part of the treaty, every nation must agree. Some countries sought to change the decision-making process, allowing votes if consensus couldn’t be reached, but India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, and others opposed this, saying consensus was essential for an inclusive, effective treaty.
The committee chair, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, said that while progress was made in Busan, the work was far from complete and would need to be pragmatic. He stated that countries were the furthest apart on proposals for problematic plastics, chemicals, plastic production, and the treaty’s financing.
As the meeting closed, countries reflected on what they want to see in the treaty moving forward.
Rwanda’s lead negotiator, Juliet Kabera, spoke on behalf of 85 countries, insisting that the treaty must be ambitious, fit for purpose, and not built to fail, for the benefit of current and future generations.
The country’s delegation vowed to return stronger, louder, and more determined next year, while Panama’s delegation, which led efforts to include plastic production in the treaty, expressed determination to keep pushing for their goals.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait disagreed with the scope of the treaty, with Saudi Arabia stating that chemicals and plastic production are outside the treaty’s scope.
The Arab group’s spokesperson said if the world addresses plastic pollution, there would be no problem producing plastic. They argued that the objective was to end plastic pollution, not plastic itself, and that stretching the mandate would erode trust and goodwill.
In March 2022, 175 nations agreed to make the first legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, with a target of completing it by 2024.
Stewart Harris, spokesperson for the International Council of Chemical Associations, described the timeline as incredibly ambitious but expressed hope that governments can reach an agreement with more time.
Environmental groups and Indigenous leaders felt silenced as most of the negotiations took place behind closed doors, leading Bjorn Beeler, international coordinator for the International Pollutants Elimination Network, to state, “The process is broken and just hobbling along.”
Conclusions:
Despite the disappointment, the international community has made significant progress in acknowledging the need to address global plastic pollution.
The challenge now is to find common ground among nations and resolve the outstanding issues.
Q: What are the key issues that caused the breakdown in negotiations?
A: The main disputes revolved around whether the treaty should reduce total plastic on Earth, establish global controls on toxic chemicals used in plastic production, and limit plastic production.
Q: Who opposed changing the decision-making process?
A: India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, and other countries opposed the change, arguing that consensus was essential for an effective treaty.
Q: What is the next step?
A: The negotiations will resume next year, and countries will continue to work towards agreeing on a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
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