At talks on cutting plastic pollution

Subject: Environment

Section: Pollution

Context: As countries meet in Nairobi to negotiate a treaty aimed at cutting plastics pollution

More about the news:

Environmental advocacy groups, Break Free From Plastic and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, released a critical report on plastic credits, asserting that they are a flawed tool incapable of effectively addressing global plastic pollution.
The report, presented in Nairobi during United Nations-led discussions on a plastic pollution treaty, accused plastic credits of often being a form of corporate greenwashing.
The analysis focused on databases from key advocates of plastic offsetting,
Verra and the Plastic Credit Exchange marketplace, revealing significant shortcomings in financing, transparency, and auditing.
The report also highlighted concerns about plastic incineration in cement kilns, suggesting it merely substitutes one pollution source for another.
Verra defended plastic credits, emphasizing their potential to mobilize funds essential for combatting plastic pollution

What is Plastic Credit:

Plastic credits, akin to carbon credits for offsetting emissions, involve entities paying for the collection of a specified weight of plastic globally, justifying their own plastic production or usage.
This approach enables companies to address their plastic footprint by financially contributing to the removal of an equivalent amount of plastic.
Accreditors like Verra and marketplaces such as the Plastic Credit Exchange (PCX) facilitate this exchange, allowing companies to achieve plastic neutrality or claim “net-zero plastic” by purchasing enough plastic credits.

What does the report say:

A report by the Break Free From Plastic movement and GAIA scrutinized plastic offsetting projects by Verra and the Plastic Credit Exchange.
It revealed flaws, citing issues such as credits for waste incineration and doubts about additionality.
The report questions the environmental impact, asserting that plastic offsetting often transforms plastic pollution into harmful air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
It also raises concerns about the financial implications, estimating potential revenue of over $4.6 billion by 2030 from Verra’s projects if credits are sold at $500 per ton.

What do plastic credits proponents say:

Verra advocates for plastic credits, highlighting benefits such as supporting waste collection and recycling infrastructure, improving conditions for the informal waste sector, and aiding low- and middle-income countries in developing waste management capabilities.
The Plastic Credit Exchange aims to advance the circular economy, founded in 2019in the Philippines, a focal point of the plastic pollution crisis.

What do opponents say:

Environmentalists argue that plastic credits, particularly those generated from incineration and cement kilns, contribute to toxic emissions, spreading pollutants invisibly.
Yuyun Ismawati, a senior advisor, criticizes plastic credits in Indonesia, citing harmful impacts on affected communities.
Policymakers see credits as a means for single-use plastic-dependent companies to evade business model changes, hindering efforts against plastic pollution.

Are plastic credits in the pollution treaty:

The current draft text under discussion at the international treaty negotiations in Nairobi does not include provisions for plastic pollution reduction.
However, negotiators are working on developing the first-ever international, legally binding treaty addressing plastic pollution on land and at sea.
The ongoing talks, the third in a series of five meetings, aim to conclude negotiations by the end of the following year.
Representatives from various nations, petrochemical companies, and environmentalists are participating in the discussions.