Nearly 100 countries on Wednesday rejected a draft of an international treaty to end plastic pollution, a day before its August 14 deadline, with some describing the text as “unambitious” and “inadequate.”
Luis Vayas Valdivieso, committee chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on plastic pollution, presented the draft treaty to all 184 UN member countries during a final round of talks in Geneva, Switzerland.
Members intended for the treaty to become the world’s first legally binding text to end plastic pollution, particularly in marine environments.
Several countries expressed strong statements regarding the negotiations. Delegates of the European Union stated, “We must express our disappointment that, in its current form, the proposed text is not acceptable. It does not meet the minimum that is needed to respond to the urgency of the challenges before us.”
The draft also faced criticism due to the lack of production caps and regulations on chemical additives in plastic products. These issues have divided countries into two different camps based on their production profiles.
The “like-minded group,” which includes oil- and plastic-producing nations such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, and Morocco, have not agreed on protection limits for plastic, arguing that “plastics are fundamental materials for sustainable economic growth” and that the treaty should “promote environmentally safe and sound management of plastic wastes and reduce uncontrolled hazardous plastic pollution.”
Meanwhile, nearly all 100 countries agreed that toxic chemical reduction is an important issue and claimed to seek common ground on cleanup and recycling measures.
After three years of negotiating, debate has persisted over legal definitions, such as “plastic pollution” and policy implementation.
In particular, members have jousted over whether to place a cap on plastic production or reinforce improved product design, recycling, or reuse.
According to UN reports, plastic production has risen to 400 million tons per year. World Wildlife Fund official Erin Simon has stated that “If we can’t turn this around, we risk leaving Geneva either empty-handed or with an empty treaty.
“It’s time for the majority to find their voice, choose a path, and leave a legacy of progress, not pollution.”
The talks are set to continue on August 14. However, given ongoing discussions, the draft will need to undergo significant changes before any consensus can be reached.
(Jurist)
