Latest news with #HighAmbitionCoalition
New Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
India resists limits on plastic output
At this point, the Global Plastics Treaty in Geneva seems to be heading the Busan way, unable to resolve disagreements. Barely four days before the second part of the Inter-governmental Negotiating Committee's fifth session (INC-5.2) concludes, there are palpable signs of a thaw in the negotiations, but the words of INC-5.2 Chair and Ecuadorian diplomat Luis Vayas Valdivieso echo loudly: 'The progress that we have made is not sufficient.' The treaty is expected to deliver a legally-binding instrument by August 14 to take on global plastic pollution, but the 180 nations taking part in the negotiations have yet to find common ground. There are 32 Articles in the draft text, and the participating countries must agree on each sentence therein. Much to the contrary, disagreement has been the growing norm with contact groups making very little headway. It has come down to two crucial groups. The 'High Ambition Coalition', which includes the EU, Australia, African as well as Pacific nations, is pushing for cuts in plastic production and consumption, only to meet the pushback from 'Like-Minded Countries' such as Saudi Arabia, China, Russia, Iran, Kuwait and Bahrain. These petro-states, also major producers of plastic polymers, seek downstream measures such as plastic waste management and recycling, citing their economic requirements. The result: Critical areas like production and chemicals of concern have barely been addressed since the negotiations began on August 4. India, on its part, has opposed any global list of products with phase-out timelines, maintaining that the treaty must strictly deal with pollution.
Times of Oman
6 days ago
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Can a global treaty solve the plastics crisis?
Geneva: After a failed attempt to finalize a global plastics treaty last year in Busan, South Korea, 170 countries are meeting in Geneva from Tuesday until August 14 to negotiate a binding agreement on reducing plastic waste. Delegates will decide the extent to which plastic production should be limited and also the design, disposal and waste management of plastic across its whole lifecycle. Worldwide, 413 million tons of plastic are produced annually, enough to fill over half a million Olympic swimming pools. Just 9% of this is recycled. The rest is incinerated or ends up in landfills or the ocean. Along the way, it pollutes the soil and harms wildlife and human health. Microplastics have found their way into every corner of the planet — and the human body. Plastic producers try to limit cuts Around 100 countries across Africa, Latin America, the EU and beyond — the so-called High Ambition Coalition — are pushing for a progressive agreement that includes, among other things, a significant reduction in plastic production. Plastic is produced predominantly with oil, a fossil fuel that is a main driver of human-made climate change. To achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, plastic production must be cut by at least 12 to 19%, according to Melanie Bergmann, a biologist at the Germany-based Alfred Wegener Institute that specializes in marine research. Standing in the way of a meaningful reduction are plastic manufacturing countries and oil producers — including Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia — who in Geneva are banded under the Like-Minded Coalition. Florian Titze, head of international policy at environmental NGO WWF, notes that oil and plastic producers oppose including policies like single-use plastic bans in the agreement. The pro-plastics lobby argues that the plastic crisis is founded on "poor waste management" and cannot be solved by limiting demand, notes Titze. Therefore, they want an agreement that focuses on plastic collection, consumer information and higher recycling rates. However, this would not stop overproduction, which Titze believes is the actual source of the problem. Virginia Janssens, managing director of Plastics Europe, which represents plastic producers in the region, warns against "oversimplified measures such as capping global production of primary plastics." While she admits that plastic pollution is a serious problem, solutions require "system-wide collaboration, not just within our sector, but across value chains, public authorities and more broadly," Janssens told DW. Recycling will not solve the problem Although recycling and waste management are important parts of combating the plastics crisis, they remain limited without reducing the amount of plastic, explained Bergmann, who will accompany the German delegation at the treaty negotiations. "If the amount of plastic in circulation increases every year, then we will need more and more of these infrastructures [for recycling and waste management]," said the scientist. "We can already see in the richer parts of the world that our systems cannot cope, despite the huge budget that we are already allocating to this." And that is despite a nation like Germany spending around €16 billion ($18.5 million) annually on waste management, water purification and combating environmental pollution. Hypocrisy from Germany and the EU? With around eight million tons of plastic produced annually, Germany is by far the largest plastic manufacturer in Europe, followed by Belgium and France. Globally, one-third of all plastics come from China, and just under 20% from other Asian countries and North America. Meanwhile, per capita annual plastic consumption in North America and Europe is 94 kilograms (207 pounds) and 85 kilograms, respectively. In China, the figure is 58 kilograms. Some experts who are close to the talks say it is hypocritical that the most ambitious countries demanding drastic plastic production cuts are the biggest plastic consumers. "Everybody is claiming to be super ambitious. I mean, at some point, it's even becoming perverse," said Aleksandar Rankovic, the founder of the Common Initiative environmental think tank and a regular observer at the treaty negotiations. He warns against placing responsibility solely on oil-producing countries and manufacturers and doubts that a binding target to produce a "sustainable level" of plastic can be achieved since it is too vague. Meanwhile, Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety says it's necessary to reduce primary plastic production to support a circular economy approach that aims to minimize resource consumption and keep materials in use for as long as possible — in addition to recycling. Italy, Spain, and France share this view and are promoting a corresponding position in the EU. The power of the plastics lobby In addition to national negotiating teams, hundreds of stakeholders from the plastics and chemical industries are expected in Geneva. "My experience is that there has been quite a bit of lobbying and efforts to undermine science around plastics that has been increasing over the past few years," explains Bethanie Carney Almroth, an ecotoxicologist at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden who researches the harmful effects of chemicals in plastics — high ambition countries also want to reduce toxin levels in plastics. Last year, more lobbyists attended the treaty round in Busan than all the delegates from the European Union member states combined. Carney Almroth says the industry is trying to cast doubt on the credibility of science with its own biased studies. But Janssens of Plastics Europe told DW that the association and its members "recognize the importance of independent science." "Ensuring evidence-based dialogue and decision-making is critical to finding the most effective solutions," she added. Carney Almroth, meanwhile, says scientists like herself have been defamed and intimidated in emails, in the media, or in letters to the editors of scientific publications. She claims that at a conference in Canada, a representative of the packaging industry stormed into the lecture hall and accused her of spreading misinformation. After Carney Almroth filed a complaint with the UN, the man was forced to apologise. Will it remain a historic opportunity? Rankovic does not believe that a groundbreaking agreement will be adopted in Geneva, but rather a kind of framework convention, a minimum consensus that could then be built upon in the coming years. Nonetheless, with plastic production set to double in the next 20 years, time is running out. With an agreement, we have a historic opportunity to get the plastic problem under control, says Bergmann.
DW
6 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Can a global treaty solve the plastics crisis? – DW – 08/05/2025
More than 170 countries are negotiating a binding agreement to slash fossil plastic production — and pollution. The oil industry claims we can recycle our way out of the problem. After a failed attempt to finalize a global plastics treaty last year in Busan, South Korea, 170 countries are meeting in Geneva from today until August 14 to negotiate a binding agreement on reducing plastic waste. Delegates will decide the extent to which plastic production should be limited, but also the design, disposal and waste management of plastic across its whole life-cycle. 413 million tons of plastic are produced worldwide every year, enough to fill over half a million Olympic swimming pools. Just 9% of this is recycled. The rest is incinerated, ends up in landfills or the ocean. Along the way it pollutes the soil and harms wildlife and human health. Microplastics have found their way into every corner of the planet — and the human body. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Around 100 countries across Africa, Latin America, the EU and beyond — the so-called High Ambition Coalition — are pushing for a progressive agreement that includes, among other things, a significant reduction in plastic production. Plastic is produced predominantly with oil, a fossil fuel that is a main driver of human-made climate change. In order to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, plastic production must be cut by at least 12 to 19%, according to Melanie Bergmann, a biologist at the Germany-based Alfred Wegener Institute that specializes in marine research. Standing in the way of a meaningful reduction are plastic manufacturing countries and oil producers — including Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia — who in Geneva are banded under the Like-Minded Coalition. Florian Titze, head of international policy at environmental NGO WWF, notes that oil and plastic producers oppose including policies like single-use plastic bans in the agreement. The pro-plastics lobby argue that the plastic crisis is founded on "poor waste management," and cannot be solved by limiting demand, notes Titze. They therefore want an agreement that focuses on plastic collection, consumer information and higher recycling rates. However, this would not stop overproduction, which Titze believes is the actual source of the problem. Virginia Janssens, managing director of Plastics Europe, which represents plastic producers in the region, warns against "oversimplified measures such as capping global production of primary plastics." While she admits that plastic pollution is a serious problem, solutions require "system-wide collaboration, not just within our sector, but across value chains, public authorities and more broadly," Janssens told DW. Although recycling and waste management are an important part of combating the plastics crisis, they remain limited without a reduction in the amount of plastic, explained Bergmann, who will accompany the German delegation at the treaty negotiations. "If the amount of plastic in circulation increases every year, then we will need more and more of these infrastructures [for recycling and waste management]," said the scientist. "We can already see in the richer parts of the world that our systems cannot cope, despite the huge budget that we are already allocating to this." And that is despite the fact that a nation like Germany spends around 16 billion euros per year on waste management, water purification, and combating environmental pollution. With around eight million tons of plastic produced annually, Germany is by far the largest plastic manufacturer in Europe, followed by Belgium and France. Globally, one-third of all plastics come from China, and just under 20% from other Asian countries and North America. Meanwhile, per capita annual plastic consumption in North America and Europe is 94 kg (207 lbs) and 85 kg respectively. In China, the figure is 58 kg. The fact that the most ambitious countries demanding drastic plastic production cuts are the biggest plastics consumers is hypocritical, say some experts who are close to the talks. "Everybody is claiming to be super ambitious. I mean, at some point it's even becoming perverse," said Aleksandar Rankovic, the founder of the Common Initiative environmental think tank and a regular observer at the treaty negotiations. He warns against placing responsibility solely on oil-producing countries and manufacturers, and doubts that a binding target to produce a "sustainable level" of plastic can be achieved since it is too vague. Meanwhile, Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety says it's necessary to reduce primary plastic production in order to support a circular economy approach that aims to minimize resource consumption and keep materials in use for as long as possible — in addition to recycling. Italy, Spain, and France share this view and are promoting a corresponding position in the EU. In addition to national negotiating teams, hundreds of stakeholders from the plastics and chemical industries are expected in Geneva. "My experience is that there has been quite a bit of lobbying and efforts to undermine science around plastics that has been increasing over the past few years," explains Bethanie Carney Almroth, an ecotoxicologist at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden who researches the harmful effects of chemicals in plastics — high ambition countries also want to reduce toxin levels in plastics. Last year, there were more lobbyists present at the treaty round in Busan than all the delegates from the European Union member states combined. Carney Almroth says the industry is trying to cast doubt on the credibility of science with its own biased studies. But Janssens of Plastics Europe told DW that the association and its members "recognize the importance of independent science." "Ensuring evidence-based dialogue and decision-making is critical to finding the most effective solutions,' she added. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Carney Almroth, meanwhile, says scientists like herself have been defamed and intimidated in emails, in the media, or in letters to the editors of scientific publications. She claims that at a conference in Canada, a representative of the packaging industry stormed into the lecture hall and accused her of spreading misinformation. After Carney Almroth filed a complaint with the UN, the man was forced to apologize. Rankovic does not believe that a groundbreaking agreement will be adopted in Geneva, but rather a kind of framework convention, a minimum consensus that could then be built upon in the coming years. Nonetheless, with plastic production set to double in the next 20 years, time is running out. With an agreement, we have a historic opportunity to get the plastic problem under control, says Bergmann. "If I didn't believe that something could be achieved here, I wouldn't need to go."
The National
05-06-2025
- General
- The National
A global plastics pollution treaty is possible
The environmental damage done by discarded single-use plastics is compounded by the fact it can often be out of sight, out of mind. From the moment a bag, bottle or straw is thoughtlessly dropped or inadequately disposed of, it begins a journey that can lead to it lingering for many years in remote locations, such as in rotting landfills or the world's oceans. Even the desert is not immune. In 2021, The National shared heart-breaking video footage captured by an environmental researcher that showed a baby camel in the Abu Dhabi wilderness eating a blue plastic bag that it mistook for food. Almost a year later, the Dubai government released figures showing that consumption of plastic caused nearly 90 per cent of turtle deaths in the UAE and half of camel fatalities. The sheer scale of the issue is sobering; the UN says the equivalent of 2,000 lorries full of plastic are dumped into the world's oceans, rivers and lakes every day while each year up to 23 million tonnes of plastic waste leaks into aquatic ecosystems. A global problem demands a global solution; as the international community marks World Environment Day today, it is worth noting that in exactly two months' time, countries will come together in Jeju, South Korea to work on a legally binding international treaty to eradicate plastics pollution. It is a laudable endeavour and one that the UAE is behind. The country is part of a 70-nation High-Ambition Coalition that wants to end plastics pollution by 2040 and, in 2023, then environment minister Mariam Almheiri told an environmental meeting in Paris that although 'plastic pollution is an epidemic … we can take pragmatic action to reduce it over the next few decades'. However, building consensus for international action is often tricky. In March 2022, the UN Environmental Assembly convened in Nairobi and 175 countries voted to adopt a global treaty for plastic pollution as well as an accelerated timeline that could have led to the agreement's implementation as early as this year. Clearly that timetable was too ambitious; since then, progress has been dogged by disagreements over the scale of the proposed treaty, who pays for clean up, and whether such a deal should cover the lifecycle of plastics from production to disposal. The differences between plastics producers and environmental NGOs as well as countries in the Global South and governments of industrialised states are profound. With the right approach a deal can be struck. A little over two weeks ago, member states of the World Health Organisation formally adopted the world's first pandemic agreement after three years of intensive negotiations. Similar strong bargaining characterised the run-up to 2023's Cop28 climate summit in Dubai, but here too there was a successful outcome in the form of the UAE Consensus. In exactly two months' time, countries will come together in Jeju, South Korea to work on a legally binding international treaty to eradicate plastics pollution However, what such divisions must not be allowed to do is sow fatalism or deter the many efforts to mitigate the scourge of single-use plastics in our ecosystem. There is much innovative work that is running in parallel to the talks process, such as emerging ocean clean-up technologies, the development of advanced biodegradable plastics and the promotion of the circular economy in which businesses and governments re-use and re-design existing plastics while also working on greener alternatives. National domestic policies can also play their part. In January 2021, the UAE Cabinet approved the Circular Economy Policy 2021-2031 and established the UAE Circular Economy Council. The following year, Abu Dhabi introduced a ban on single-use plastic bags. In January this year, Dubai also banned single-use plastics; the emirate has announced plans to close landfills by 2027. By bringing an open mind and realistic goals it is possible to produce a positive outcome for everyone and make scenes such as wildlife being choked and poisoned by plastic trash a thing of the past.
