The Unfinished Business of the Global Plastics Treaty
Here are the facts from the most recent (6th) and final round of negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty, that took place in Geneva, Switzerland earlier this month according to multiple news sources who were close to the event including Grist.org.
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The negotiations were attended by delegates from 183 countries and close to 1000 observers from over 400 organizations. This included representatives from governments, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, scientists, and the private sector. The talks saw a clear divide between two main groups:
The High Ambition Coalition: This group, which includes the European Union and many countries in Africa and Latin America, pushed for a strong, legally binding treaty with global controls on plastic production and a phase-out of certain chemicals.
A "like-minded" group of fossil fuel and plastic-producing countries: This group, which included nations like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, and the United States, advocated for a less ambitious treaty that focused primarily on waste management and recycling, rather than limiting plastic production.
The final round of negotiations ended in a stalemate primarily due to the deep division between these two groups. And the biggest disagreement was whether the treaty should include legally binding caps on the production of new plastic. The High Ambition Coalition argued this was essential to address the root cause of pollution, while the oil and plastic-producing nations opposed any such limits, citing economic concerns.
We at Keep California Green and Golden (KCGG) view this as a deeply concerning setback in the effort to fight the plastic pollution global crisis. As a 17 year old growing up in the state as environmentally conscious as California, the shock at this disagreement shows us the challenge we are facing now and in the future is much, much bigger than previously thought.
At KCGG, we aim to not only pick up 2 metric tons of trash per month but also to do everything we can to decrease the production of new plastic. Our poor planet is drawing in plastic and the thought that countries want to continue to create more plastic every second is devastating. Approximately 1 million plastic bottles are purchased every minute.* There has to be more done to decrease the production and increase the recycling technology as this waste will have far reaching effects to the biodiversity of our oceans.
We need to collectively rise up and fight against the unfinished business as an output of the Global Plastic Treaty. We cannot let this momentum fade for the future of our planet, our well-being and our future generations' well-being. Please join KCGG in this fight!
* 1 million per minute: This widely cited figure, supported by organizations like the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), illustrates the rapid daily increase in plastic bottle waste.