EconomyLens.com
No Result
View All Result
Friday, June 13, 2025
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Business
  • Markets
  • Tech
  • Editorials
EconomyLens.com
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Business
  • Markets
  • Tech
  • Editorials
No Result
View All Result
EconomyLens.com
No Result
View All Result
Home Economy

‘Crucial week’: make-or-break plastic pollution treaty talks begin

Emma Reilly by Emma Reilly
November 24, 2024
in Economy
Reading Time: 7 mins read
A A
1
63
SHARES
782
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Plastic pollution litters our seas, our air and even our bodies, but negotiators face an uphill battle next week to agree on the world's first treaty aimed at ending the problem. ©AFP

Busan (South Korea) (AFP) – A final round of talks on a treaty to end plastic pollution opens on Monday, with the diplomat chairing the difficult negotiations warning nations not to miss a “once-in-a-generation opportunity.” Plastic pollution is so ubiquitous that it has been found in clouds, the deepest ocean trenches, and even in human breastmilk. And while almost everyone agrees it is a problem, there is less consensus on how to solve it. Nations have just a week in South Korea’s Busan to solve thorny issues including whether to cap plastic production, a possible ban on chemicals feared toxic to human health, and how to pay for the treaty.

Related

As NATO ups defence spending, can Europe produce the weapons?

Betraying the revolution: Cuban students reject dollarization

As NATO ups defence spending, can Europe produce the weapons?

Trump moves to block California electric cars program

Niger-Benin border standoff deepens as trade collapse bites

“There are some real differences on some key elements,” UN Environment Programme chief Inger Andersen acknowledged Sunday in a meeting with observers at the talks. “I believe that we absolutely can land this, but that it will take everybody shuffling a little bit into the bus,” she said. In 2019, the world produced around 460 million tonnes of plastic, a figure that has doubled since 2000, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Plastic production is expected to triple by 2060. More than 90 percent of plastic is not recycled, with over 20 million tonnes leaking into the environment, often after just a few minutes of use. Plastic also accounts for around three percent of global emissions, mostly linked to its production from fossil fuels.

Some countries, including the so-called High Ambition Coalition (HAC) that groups many African, Asian, and European nations, want to discuss the entire “lifecycle” of plastics. That means limiting production, redesigning products for reuse and recycling, and addressing waste. On the other side are countries, largely oil producers like Saudi Arabia and Russia, who want a downstream focus on waste alone. The HAC wants binding global targets on reducing production and warned ahead of the Busan talks that “vested interests” should not be allowed to hamper a deal. The divisions have stymied four previous rounds of talks, producing an unwieldy document of over 70 pages. Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the diplomat chairing the talks, has produced an alternative document intended to synthesize the views of delegations and move negotiations forward. It is a more manageable 17 pages and highlights areas of agreement, including the need to promote reusability. However, it leaves the thorniest issues largely unaddressed, angering some more ambitious nations and environmental groups. Valdivieso nonetheless insisted on Sunday that “a shared understanding has been emerging,” while reminding nations they have just 63 working hours in a “crucial week” to land a deal. “This treaty is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” he said.

Some observers believe the talks are likely to falter and be extended — especially after the difficult negotiations at UN climate and biodiversity conferences in recent weeks. But both Andersen and Valdivieso insist a deal must be reached in Busan. That has some environmental groups worried that an agreement will be watered down to ensure something is signed. Key to any accord will be the United States and China, neither of which have openly sided with either bloc. Earlier this year, Washington raised hopes among environmentalists by signaling support for some limits on production, a position that is reportedly now being rowed back. The election of Donald Trump has also raised questions about how ambitious the US delegation will be, and whether negotiators should even bother seeking their support if a treaty is unlikely to be ratified by Washington.

Some plastic producers are pushing governments to focus on waste management and reusability, warning that production caps would cause “unintended consequences.” But others back a deal with global standards, including on “sustainable” production levels. Hours before the talks opened, environmental groups presented officials with a petition signed by nearly three million people urging a legally binding treaty. “Governments can and must create the treaty people are demanding,” said Eirik Lindebjerg, WWF global plastics policy lead. “One which decisively and definitely protects people and nature now and for generations to come.”

© 2024 AFP

Tags: environmentpollutionsustainability
Share25Tweet16Share4Pin6Send
Previous Post

Climate finance’s ‘new era’ shows new political realities

Next Post

Petrol industry embraces plastics while navigating energy shift

Emma Reilly

Emma Reilly

Related Posts

Economy

March quake to drive 2.5% drop in Myanmar GDP, says World Bank

June 12, 2025
Economy

UK economy shrinks in April as US tariffs kick in

June 12, 2025
Economy

Niger-Benin border standoff deepens as trade collapse bites

June 12, 2025
Economy

Rice prices Japan’s hot political issue, on and off the farm

June 12, 2025
Economy

US inflation edges up but Trump tariff hit limited for now

June 11, 2025
Economy

Latest GM investments in US in line with slowing EV demand: exec

June 11, 2025
Next Post

Petrol industry embraces plastics while navigating energy shift

Equity markets mostly on front foot, as bitcoin rally stutters

Closing arguments coming in US-Google antitrust trial on ad tech

'Existential challenge': plastic pollution treaty talks begin

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
guest
1 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

New York ruling deals Trump business a major blow

September 30, 2024

Elon Musk’s X fights Australian watchdog over church stabbing posts

April 21, 2024

Women journalists bear the brunt of cyberbullying

April 22, 2024

France probes TotalEnergies over 2021 Mozambique attack

May 6, 2024

Ghanaian finance ministry warns against fallout from anti-LGBTQ law

74

New York ruling deals Trump business a major blow

71

Shady bleaching jabs fuel health fears, scams in W. Africa

71

Stock markets waver, oil prices edge up

65

Airlines halt many Middle East flights after Israel hits Iran

June 13, 2025

At least 265 dead in India plane crash, one passenger survives

June 13, 2025

Air India crash latest test for new Boeing leadership

June 13, 2025

Dollar dives on Trump’s new trade threat

June 13, 2025
EconomyLens Logo

We bring the world economy to you. Get the latest news and insights on the global economy, from trade and finance to technology and innovation.

Pages

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

Categories

  • Business
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Tech
  • Editorials

Network

  • Coolinarco.com
  • CasualSelf.com
  • Fit.CasualSelf.com
  • Sport.CasualSelf.com
  • SportBeep.com
  • MachinaSphere.com
  • MagnifyPost.com
  • TodayAiNews.com
  • VideosArena.com
© 2025 EconomyLens.com - Top economic news from around the world.
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Business
  • Markets
  • Tech
  • Editorials

© 2024 EconomyLens.com - Top economic news from around the world.