Key negotiations on the inking of the global plastics pact begin in Paris

Issue of: 29/05/2023 – 08:41

Ahead of talks that start Monday in Paris, many countries say the treaty’s goal should be “circularity,” meaning that plastic products already manufactured should remain in circulation for as long as possible.

United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) The organizers of the talks unveiled a blueprint to reduce plastic waste by 80 percent by 2040.

of reportThe report, published earlier this month, outlines three key action areas: reusing, recycling and reorienting plastic packaging.

Some environmental groups criticized the report’s focus on waste management, seeing it as a concession to the global plastics and petrochemical industries.

“A real solution to the plastics crisis will require global control over the chemicals in plastics and a significant reduction in plastic production,” said Therese Carlsson, scientific adviser to the institute. . International pollutant removal network.

Under a new group called Global Partners for Plastics Circularity, the industry is putting mechanical and chemical recycling at the heart of its position.

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen told Reuters the criticism: recycling The content of the report ignored the report’s extensive recommendations for a thorough review of packaging.

“We’re talking about redesign. When we talk about redesign, it’s all that needs to be done to reduce usage.” plastic“That’s where it starts,” she said.

public health concerns

At the first round of talks in Uruguay last November, the countries set an ambitious deadline of agreeing a legally-binding treaty within a year.

At this point, participants are still making decisions on the treaty’s core goals, such as whether some plastics should be banned and how to improve waste management.

Countries also have yet to resolve key issues such as how to fund policies and how to implement and report on policies. This week, dozens of countries named public health as one of their priorities in limiting plastic production and waste.

The UNEP report also identified 13,000 chemicals associated with plastic production, more than 3,000 of which are considered dangerous.

Greenpeace releases report To collect the results of scientific research papers suggesting that many of these chemicals, including benzene, can be released into the environment through the plastic recycling process.

Ahead of Monday’s talks, a coalition of 55 countries called for a strong treaty that would include restrictions on certain hazardous chemicals and a ban on problematic plastic products that are difficult to recycle and often discarded in nature.

Rwandan Environment Minister Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, co-chair of the treaty, said: “Through this treaty, we have an obligation to protect human health in the environment from the most harmful polymers and chemicals of concern. responsible,” he said. High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution.

The United States is not a member of the coalition, but a State Department official told Reuters it shares the coalition’s ambitions but supports an approach in which countries develop their own national action plans, similar to the Paris Climate Agreement. Told.

The United States, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), will announce grants this week to help developing countries take immediate action against plastic pollution.

(Reuters)