‘Low ambition’ kills off global plastic pollution treaty

Hopes for a legally binding United Nations treaty to tackle plastic pollution have virtually disappeared amid opposition from oil-producing countries. Two years of talks to deliver a UN Global Plastics Treaty at five major sessions are expected to end at the sixth in August without agreement on addressing the life cycle of plastics.

This frustrating state of affairs was set out for members of the Bureau of International Recycling during the plastics division session at their Valencia convention. It was described during an update from BIR’s trade and environment director Alev Somer.

‘We’ve been negotiating [at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee] since November 2022 and have reached the point where there was no agreement at the end of what was supposed to be the final session,’ said Somer.

Miracles

‘So they said, well, let’s add another session – that’s supposed to be the very final one. Miracles [do happen] but, to be honest, no, I do not frankly see a binding treaty signed at the end of the session.’

Somer had set out for delegates how the hopes for a legally binding ‘life-cycle’ treaty had been thwarted by those with ‘low ambitions’ – typically oil-producing countries and their lobbyists. She said many had ‘back-tracked’ on earlier commitments and rejected binding targets in favour of voluntary measures.

This is a problem as a two-thirds majority is required for adoption. And although a treaty could then be called legally binding, countries opposed to it would not be required to follow the rules.

Post-consumer

Another possible scenario, Somer explained, was a treaty solely to cover post-consumer plastic waste but that would exempt primary producers from responsibility and remove considerations such as design and recycled content, making the task for recyclers even tougher.

But the director remained positive. ‘This process started an important discussion and we see that some countries are really resolute to take action,’ she said, adding that the issues around plastic pollution could be addressed through other treaties and organisations, such as the Basel Convention.

BIR director-general Arnaud Brunet said he believed a treaty would not be realised at the final talks in Geneva in August. ‘The best we can probably get is voluntary agreements. I think that’s the best scenario. But in any case, it’s not waste of time. These international negotiations are putting pressure on governments, on industries and are showing the way to go forward.’