UN Member States Negotiate First Global Plastics Treaty Amid Deep Divisions

UN member states are currently negotiating in Ottawa, Canada to establish the first-ever global plastics treaty. The negotiations, taking place during the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4), aim to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution by the end of 2024. However, deep divisions have emerged over the treaty's scope and provisions.

A key point of contention is whether the treaty should include limits on plastic production. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault of Canada, the host nation, has stated that the agreement will not be sufficiently ambitious if it does not address plastic production. "It's hard to see how an agreement that doesn't address production could be ambitious enough to meet the challenge that we're facing," Guilbeault said.

The current draft text of the treaty contains multiple options for handling production, ranging from national targets to no restrictions as long as waste can be managed. While a solid agreement on capping production is unlikely to be reached in Ottawa, parties are hoping to hold formal discussions on the issue between this round and the fifth negotiation session in South Korea in November.

Environmental groups like Greenpeace are calling for a 75% reduction in plastic production by 2040. However, companies argue that alternatives to plastics are often more expensive and energy-intensive. The petrochemical industry and some fossil fuel-dependent nations, such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, and China, are pushing back against production limits, focusing instead on better recycling and cleanup efforts.

Why this matters: The global plastics treaty represents a critical opportunity to address the urgent issue of plastic pollution, which is the second most pressing environmental problem behind climate change. The outcome of these negotiations will have far-reaching implications for the environment, human health, and the economy. The treaty's success hinges on finding common ground among nations with divergent interests and overcoming the influence of powerful industry lobbies.

As the negotiations continue, delegates are working in contact groups and subgroups to streamline the treaty's text, discussing technical and substantive elements such as emissions, releases, waste management, financing, and national action plans. The chair of the negotiations, an Ecuadorean diplomat, is urging negotiators to tackle the task with optimism, accountability, and integrity based on science. The final step in the treaty negotiations will be INC-5 in Busan, South Korea later this year, where the goal is to finalize the agreement.

Key Takeaways

• UN negotiating first-ever global plastics treaty by end of 2024, with divisions over scope.
• Key dispute is whether treaty should include limits on plastic production.
• Environmental groups call for 75% reduction in plastic production by 2040, industry opposes.
• Treaty's success hinges on finding common ground and overcoming industry influence.
• Final negotiations to be held in Busan, South Korea, with goal of finalizing agreement.