Plastic treaty talks conclude in Ottawa with little progress

Subject: Environment

Sec: Pollution

Tag: Plastic treaty

Context:

The fourth round of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) to negotiate a Global Plastics Treaty concluded in Ottawa, Canada, with 192 member countries deliberating on a legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution.

Details:

The next meeting, expected to be the final one, is scheduled for November 2024 in Busan, South Korea.
Despite high expectations, the talks failed to establish a timeline for halting primary plastic production.
The discussions aimed to address the challenges posed by the widespread use of plastics linked to oil economies, extensive manufacturing sectors, and the absence of affordable alternatives.
The negotiations highlighted the difficulties in curbing the production of plastics, which are major pollutants in marine and terrestrial ecosystems due to their non-biodegradable nature.

India’s Position:

India’s stance in the negotiations was to oppose restrictions on producing primary or virgin plastic polymers, arguing that production reductions were beyond the scope of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolutions.
Indian delegates emphasized the need for decisions on chemical usage in plastics to be based on scientific evidence and conducted through a transparent and inclusive process.
In 2022, India implemented the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, which banned 19 categories of single-use plastics, though enforcement remains uneven across the country.

Instances of other nations:

Many plastic and petrochemical-producing countries including Saudi Arabia, Iran and China– known collectively as the group of Like-Minded Countries– have opposed mentioning production limits.
Meanwhile, the 60-nation “High-Ambition Coalition”, which includes EU countries, island nations, Japan and the UAE, wants to end plastic pollution by 2040.
- Backed by some environment groups, this coalition has called for common, legally binding provisions to “restrain and reduce the production and consumption of primary plastic polymers to sustainable levels.”
- They also are proposing measures such as phasing out “problematic” single-use plastics and banning certain chemical additives that could carry health risks.
The U.S. wants to end plastic pollution by 2040. But unlike the High-Ambition Coalition, it wants countries to set their plans and send updates regularly to the United Nations.

Considerations in the New Global Plastics Pollution Treaty:

Focus on elements like global objectives to tackle marine and other types of environmental pollution and their impact, and worldwide obligations and measures throughout the lifecycle of plastics, right from product design to waste management.
Mechanisms for providing scientific information relevant to the policies of the resolution, and for helping with financial support for its implementation.
The treaty might require the testing of certain chemicals present in plastics to ensure safety and environmental protection.
Identifies the importance of indigenous communities and their age-old practices to keep the environments pollution-free and calls for the knowledge of these communities to be taken into account by the INC.
National action plans and national and international cooperative measures towards achieving the goal of eliminating plastic pollution.
Progress assessment for member states.

Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC):

Established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2022 to develop an international legally binding agreement on plastic pollution.
Its mandate is to develop an instrument that addresses the entire life cycle of plastic, including in the marine environment, and could include both voluntary and binding approaches.
The INC-1 started in November 2022 in Punta del Este, Uruguay. The INC-2 occurred in May-June 2023 in Paris, France. The INC-3 convened in Nairobi, Kenya in December 2023.

Plastic pollution:

While plastic waste has become a global menace polluting landscapes and waterways, producing plastics involves releasing greenhouse gas emissions.
The plastic industry now accounts for 5% of global carbon emissions, which could grow to 20% by 2050 if current trends continue.
Plastic production is on track to triple by 2060 — unless the treaty sets production limits, as some have proposed.
Most virgin plastic is derived from petroleum.

India’s effort to reduce plastic pollution:

Source: TH