Global plastic pollution treaty explained

Global Plastic Pollution Treaty
Long Name:International legally binding agreement on plastics
Type:International treaty

UN Member States are currently negotiating a legally-binding, international agreement on plastics that will address the entire life cycle of plastics, from design to production and disposal. On March 2, 2022, UN Member States voted at the resumed fifth UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) to establish an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) with the mandate of advancing a legally-binding international agreement on plastics.[1] [2] [3] The resolution is entitled “End plastic pollution: Towards an international legally binding instrument.”

Timeline

Following UNEA-5.2, The mandate specifies that the INC must begin its work by the end of 2022 with the goal of "completing a draft global legally binding agreement by the end of 2024."[4]

Work towards the treaty began with the meeting of an ad hoc open-ended working group in Dakar, Senegal from May 30 through June 1, 2022.[5] During that meeting, Member States established a timeline for subsequent meetings through the end of 2024, rules of procedure, and the initial scope of work for the first meeting of the INC.[6]

The Republic of Korea has offered to host INC-5. In 2025, the treaty is to be finalized at the conference of the plenipotentiaries, with Ecuador, Peru, Rwanda, and Senegal as potential hosts.[14]

Content

Members agreed that the treaty will be international in scope, legally binding, and should address the full life cycle of plastics, including its design, production, and disposal. It has been argued that chemicals contained in plastics such as additives, processing aids, and unintentionally added substances need to be addressed, too.[15] [16]

Support for the treaty

In the lead-up to UNEA-5.2, the majority of UN Member States had expressed their support for advancing a global treaty.[17] Other groups making public declarations about the need for a treaty include the business sector,[18] civil society, Indigenous Peoples,[19] workers, trade unions,[20] waste pickers[21] and scientists.[22] [23]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Geddie . John . 2 March 2022 . 'Biggest green deal since Paris': UN agrees plastic treaty roadmap . Reuters .
  2. News: March 2, 2022 . Plastic pollution: Green light for 'historic' treaty . BBC News .
  3. News: Tabuchi . Hiroko . Hiroko Tabuchi . March 2, 2022 . The World Is Awash in Plastic. Nations Plan a Treaty to Fix That. . The New York Times .
  4. Web site: 2022-03-02 . Historic day in the campaign to beat plastic pollution: Nations commit to develop a legally binding agreement . 2022-08-01 . UN Environment . en.
  5. Web site: Ad hoc open‑ended working group (OEWG) to prepare for the intergovernmental negotiating committee on plastic pollution . 2022-08-01 . UNEP - UN Environment Programme . en.
  6. https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/39812/OEWG_PP_1_INF_1_UNEA%20resolution.pdf UNEA Resolution 5/14 – End plastic pollution: Towards an international legally binding instrument*
  7. Web site: Proposed approach to the work of the intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) developing an international instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment . 1 August 2022 . United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
  8. https://enb.iisd.org/plastic-pollution-marine-environment-negotiating-committee-inc1-summary IISD Summary report, 26 November – 2 December 2022
  9. https://www.unep.org/events/conference/second-session-intergovernmental-negotiating-committee-develop-international UNEP Second session of Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution
  10. Web site: Third Session of Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution . 2023-11-11 . UNEP - UN Environment Programme . en.
  11. Web site: Global Plastics Treaty Chair Releases 'Zero Draft' Ahead of Third Meeting . 2023-11-11 . Center for Biological Diversity . en.
  12. News: Goodwin . Natalia . Harder . Isabel . April 21, 2024 . Demonstrators march through Ottawa, call for end to plastic pollution . CBC News.
  13. News: Stueck . Wendy . 2024-04-21 . Talks to deal with plastic begin in Canada this week. Here’s what’s at stake . 2024-04-28 . The Globe and Mail . en-CA.
  14. https://sdg.iisd.org/news/negotiations-on-a-global-plastics-treaty-get-underway/ IISD Negotiations on a Global Plastics Treaty Get Underway
  15. Wang . Zhanyun . Praetorius . Antonia . 2022-11-22 . Integrating a Chemicals Perspective into the Global Plastic Treaty . . 9 . 12 . en . 1000–1006 . 10.1021/acs.estlett.2c00763. 36530847 . free . 9753957 . 2022EnSTL...9.1000W .
  16. Simon . Nils . Raubenheimer . Karen . Urho . Niko . Unger . Sebastian . Azoulay . David . Farrelly . Trisia . Trisia Farrelly . Sousa . Joao . van Asselt . Harro . Carlini . Giulia . Sekomo . Christian . Schulte . Maro Luisa . Busch . Per-Olof . Wienrich . Nicole . Weiand . Laura . 2021-07-02 . A binding global agreement to address the life cycle of plastics . . 373 . 6550 . 43–47 . 10.1126/science.abi9010 . 34210873 . 2021Sci...373...43S . 235699747.
  17. Web site: Global Plastic Navigator . 2022-08-01 . plasticnavigator.wwf.de.
  18. Web site: The Business Call for a UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution . 2022-08-01 . www.plasticpollutiontreaty.org . en.
  19. Web site: Indigenous communities on the frontlines of the plastics crisis speak at global plastics treaty negotiations . 6 August 2024 . Ecojustice.
  20. Web site: 2022-02-05 . Civil Society, Indigenous Peoples, Workers and Trade Unions, and Other Organizations - A New Global Treaty On Plastic Pollution . 2022-08-01 . en-US. www.plasticstreaty.org.
  21. News: 2022-03-02 . The World Is Awash in Plastic. Nations Plan a Treaty to Fix That. . en-US . 2023-05-18. www.nytimes.com.
  22. The time for ambitious action is now: Science-based recommendations for plastic chemicals to inform an effective global plastic treaty . Science of The Total Environment . 949.
  23. News: 2022-02-05 . Scientists - A New Global Treaty On Plastic Pollution . en-US . A New Global Treaty On Plastic Pollution - . 2022-08-01.

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