In a significant setback for environmental advocates, more than 100 nations advocating for a cap on plastic production failed to reach a consensus at the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting in Busan, South Korea. The meeting, intended to finalize a legally binding global treaty to curb plastic pollution, ended without an agreement, leading to the postponement of key decisions to a later session, INC-5.2.
Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Program, highlighted the ongoing challenges, stating, \"It is clear that there is still persisting divergence.\" The primary points of contention included the extent of plastic production caps, the management of plastic products and concerning chemicals, and the financial support required for developing countries to implement the treaty.
A major proposal by Panama, supported by over 100 countries, aimed to establish a global target for reducing plastic production. In contrast, another proposal on the table did not include any production caps, reflecting the deep divisions among the negotiating parties.
Juliet Kabera, director general of Rwanda's Environment Management Authority, emphasized the need for a robust agreement, saying, \"A treaty that … only relies on voluntary measures would not be acceptable. It is time we take it seriously and negotiate a treaty that is fit for purpose and not built to fail.\"
Petrochemical-producing nations, including Saudi Arabia, strongly opposed the production caps proposal. Saudi Arabian delegate Abdulrahman Al Gwaiz criticized the lack of consensus, noting, \"There was never any consensus. There are a couple of articles that somehow seem to make it into the document despite our continued insistence that they are not within the scope.\"
According to data from Eunomia, China, the United States, India, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia were the top five polymer-producing nations in 2023, underscoring the significant influence these countries hold in the negotiations.
Had the divisions been overcome, the treaty could have been one of the most impactful environmental agreements since the 2015 Paris Agreement. The postponement of the INC-5 meeting comes shortly after the contentious conclusion of the COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, highlighting the persistent challenges in achieving global environmental cooperation.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
