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ABC News
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Flares lit up as demonstrators clash with Israeli police in Tel Aviv protest
Israeli police have clashed with demonstrators during a protest calling for the immediate release of hostages by Hamas in Gaza and an end to the war.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Australia to back global plastic caps against US wishes
Australia will defy a US demand by backing a global cap on plastics production, Environment Minister Murray Watt says. The latest round of negotiations for a global plastics treaty kicked off in Geneva, Switzerland, earlier this week. The talks are driven by international alarm at how much plastic ends up in oceans, air and even humans. But the Trump administration is not a fan, arguing in a memo sent to some 100 countries that 'production targets or bans' would push costs up for everyone. Senator Watt confirmed on Friday that Australia was a recipient. 'Yes, we have received that … and it's been well known heading into this conference that Australia and nearly 100 other countries are taking a different position on this to the US and another number of other major plastics producers,' he told the ABC. 'It's not really a surprise that those countries that are the major plastic producers in the world are opposed to the level of ambition that Australia and so many other countries want to have.' He said the treaty talks were trying to 'bring in binding global rules around things like designing plastic products so they can be safe and recyclable' and 'don't end up becoming waste'. 'And we very much support much stronger rules around that … because I think we can all see the damage that plastic is creating to our pollution and we've got to tackle it,' Senator Watt said. An estimated 19-23 million metric tonnes of plastic waste leak into aquatic ecosystems every year, and this is projected to increase significantly. Plastics contain thousands of chemicals, many of which are toxic, including carcinogens and hormone disrupters. Because plastic is not biodegradable, it breaks down into smaller and smaller particles called microplastics, which are increasingly being found within humans. The long-term health effects are still being studied. Bringing in legally binding guardrails could hit the US hard as a major producer of both petrochemicals used to make plastics and plastic products. Rather than changing production, the US favours downstream solutions, such as improving recycling and waste management. It also dislikes being bound to the actions of other countries – a position often adopted by both sides of politics in Washington but a prominent feature of the Trump administration. 'We will not support impractical global approaches such as plastic production targets or bans and restrictions on plastic additives or plastic products – that will increase the costs of all plastic products that are used throughout our daily lives,' the US memo Australia received said, as quoted by Reuters, which first reported it. In his comments on Friday, Senator Watt said it was 'disappointing that there are some countries in the world who are opposing this action'. 'What brings those countries together is the fact that they are the major plastic producers, and I guess they've got less of an interest in making the kind of changes that so much of the world wants to see,' he said. 'But it won't stop us continuing to push for a strong treaty and working with the majority of countries in the world who want to see that because we are seeing too much harm created by too much plastic in our environment.'
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Federal politics live: Murray Watt says US push to sink global plastics treaty is 'disappointing'
Environment Minister Murray Watt says it is "disappointing" some countries, including the United States, are actively trying to sink a global treaty to tackle plastic pollution. Follow our live coverage below.
