Global talks on plastic waste treaty melt down
Why it matters: Plastic is a multi-front environmental problem even as it enables the manufacture and distribution of vital and popular goods.
Each year, between 19 and 23 million tons of plastic waste leak into aquatic systems, per UN figures.
The big picture: The future of plastic is an energy story because oil and natural gas liquids are major inputs.
The petrochemical industry "is set to become the dominant source of global oil demand growth from 2026 onwards," the International Energy Agency said in a June report, noting transport and power are diversifying toward other fuels.
Driving the news: "While we did not land the treaty text we hoped for, we at UNEP will continue the work against plastic pollution — pollution that is in our groundwater, in our soil, in our rivers, in our oceans and yes, in our bodies," Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Programme, said in a statement Friday.
What we're watching: The way forward is unclear amid large differences, AP and other outlets report from the talks in Geneva.
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Axios
a day ago
- Axios
Global talks on plastic waste treaty melt down
UN-hosted global talks to produce a treaty on curbing plastic pollution ended Friday "without consensus on a text of the instrument" despite years of negotiations, the body said. Why it matters: Plastic is a multi-front environmental problem even as it enables the manufacture and distribution of vital and popular goods. Each year, between 19 and 23 million tons of plastic waste leak into aquatic systems, per UN figures. The big picture: The future of plastic is an energy story because oil and natural gas liquids are major inputs. The petrochemical industry "is set to become the dominant source of global oil demand growth from 2026 onwards," the International Energy Agency said in a June report, noting transport and power are diversifying toward other fuels. Driving the news: "While we did not land the treaty text we hoped for, we at UNEP will continue the work against plastic pollution — pollution that is in our groundwater, in our soil, in our rivers, in our oceans and yes, in our bodies," Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Programme, said in a statement Friday. What we're watching: The way forward is unclear amid large differences, AP and other outlets report from the talks in Geneva.
Wall Street Journal
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