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New Straits Times
a day ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Plastic pollution deal now appears adrift
THE collapse on Friday of a sixth round of UN talks aimed at curbing plastic output has dimmed hopes of tackling a key source of pollution and left many advocates of restrictions pessimistic about a global deal during the Trump administration. A three-year global push to reach a legally binding treaty to curb plastic pollution choking the oceans and harming human health now appears adrift, participants said. Many states and campaigners blamed the failure on oil-producers, including the United States, which they said hardened long-held positions and urged others to reject caps on new plastic production that would have curbed output of polymers. Debbra Cisneros, a negotiator for Panama, which supported a strong deal, said the United States, the world's number two plastics producer behind China, was less open than in previous rounds conducted under Joe Biden's administration. "This time they were just not wanting anything. So it was hard, because we always had them against us in each of the important provisions," she said at the end of the 11-day talks. Anti-plastic campaigners saw little hope for a change in Washington's position under President Donald Trump, who in February signed an executive order encouraging consumers to buy plastic drinking straws. "The mentality is different, and they want to extract more oil and gas out of the ground," said Bjorn Beeler, International Coordinator at International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), a global network of more than 600 public-interest NGOs. The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment about its positions and its role in the talks. US delegate John Thompson declined to respond to questions from a Reuters reporter on the outcome. A State Department spokesperson previously said each party should take measures according to its national context, while Washington has expressed concerns that the new rules could increase the costs of all plastic products. The Trump administration has also rolled back various US climate and environmental policies that it says place too many burdens on national industry. Earlier last week, Washington also flexed its muscle in talks about another global environmental agreement when it threatened measures against states backing a proposal aimed at reducing shipping emissions. For a coalition of some 100 countries seeking an ambitious deal in Geneva, production limits are essential. Fiji's delegate Sivendra Michael likened excluding this provision to "mopping the floor without turning off the tap". For each month of delays, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said nearly a million tonnes of plastic waste accumulates — some of which washes up on the beaches of island states. Some participants also blamed organisers, the International Negotiating Committee (INC), a UN-established body supported by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). A low point was a formal meeting an hour before the negotiations were set to conclude at midnight on Thursday which lasted less than a minute and was then adjourned until dawn, prompting laughter and jeering from delegates. "Everyone was in shock as no one understood," said Ana Rocha, Global Plastics Policy Director for environmental group GAIA. "It's almost like they were playing with small children." France's ecology minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher called proceedings "chaotic". Asked what went wrong, INC chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso blamed the rift between countries and called the negotiations complex. "But we have advanced and that's important," he said. UN provisional rules require all states to agree — a constraint that some see as unworkable, especially under a US administration that is retreating from multilateralism. "Consensus is dead. You cannot agree a deal where all the countries who produce and export plastics and oil can decide the terms of what the deal is going to be," said IPEN's Beeler. Some delegates and campaigners suggested introducing voting to break the deadlock or even for the UN-led process to be abandoned altogether. The WWF and others called on ambitious states to pursue a separate deal, with the hope of getting plastics-producing nations on board later. Two draft deals emerged from the talks — one more ambitious than the other. Neither was adopted. It is unclear when the next meeting will take place, with states merely agreeing to reconvene at a later date.
CBC
3 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Global plastics treaty negotiations fail to reach a consensus — again
Social Sharing What was supposed to be the final round of negotiations for a legally binding global treaty to end plastic pollution has failed to reach a consensus. After delegates spent 10 days in Geneva, Switzerland, trying to address plastic pollution, the session was adjourned, with no immediate plans to resume efforts to reach a treaty. The World Wildlife Fund called on ambitious states to pursue a separate deal, with the hope of getting plastics-producing nations on board later. "Consensus is dead, it's clear that it's not working," Björn Beeler, the international co-ordinator for the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), told CBC News. This was the sixth time countries had convened as part of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, which was supposed to come to an agreement by 2024. Representatives from 183 countries and 400 organizations showed up, and the stakes were high. Around 7,250 megatonnes of plastic pollute the planet, according to The Lancet Countdown on health and plastics, which was published in Health Policy earlier this month. And plastic production is on course to triple by 2060. Anthony Merante, senior plastics campaigner for non-profit organization Oceana Canada, says imposing limits on plastics production was at the heart of the disagreement. "It is unfortunate that some of the largest countries in the world want to stand on the path that leads us to making more plastic and to continuing the pollution crisis that we have," he told CBC News from Geneva on Friday. "But we're happy to see Canada stand on the right side of this." Flawed process, say attendees Consensus decision-making paralyzed the talks, Erin Simon, an expert on plastics and packaging at the World Wildlife Fund, told The Associated Press back in December. Consensus means that every nation must agree for there to be a legally binding treaty. "Each country has a veto card," said Simon. "They have no incentive to come up with a plan and we've seen that time and time again in these negotiations." At negotiations in Busan, South Korea, in December 2024, Saudi Arabia, Russia, India and other countries that produce plastics and oil and gas pushed for a treaty focused on better waste management and recycling — not plastic production caps. This remained the case in Geneva. WATCH | Why it's so hard to end plastic pollution: Why it's so hard to end plastic pollution 1 year ago "Issues like production are very, very hard to move," IPEN's Beeler told CBC News on Monday, halfway through the negotiations. IPEN is a global network of more than 600 organizations in 131 countries that conducts research to help influence global policy. "It's clear [many plastic-producing countries] do not want a treaty. It's clear the only thing that they would tolerate would be an agreement that addresses plastic waste management, and even there, they're difficult,"said Beeler. Beeler says a focus on waste management and recycling pushes the responsibility onto the general public. Big divide on certain topics Production limits and ways to address chemicals used in plastic products were removed from a draft of the treaty presented on Wednesday, which was supposed to be the second-to-last day of negotiations. When the countries reconvened Wednesday night, Colombia's delegation said it wouldn't accept the new draft as the basis for negotiations, calling the text unbalanced and lacking the ambition and global obligations needed to end plastic pollution. Canada and many other delegations agreed — including Panama, Mexico, Chile, Ghana, Norway, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the group of small island developing states. They are all part of the High Ambition Coalition, a group of ambitious countries committed to ending plastic pollution by 2040. "Let me be clear — this is not acceptable for future generations," said Erin Silsbe from Environment and Climate Change Canada. Fiji delegate Sivendra Michael said it would be like "mopping the floor without turning off the tap." Almost 100 countries wanted to limit plastic production, as well as tackle waste cleanup and recycling. Instead, the draft of the treaty centered on the redesign of plastic products so they can be recycled and reused, and improving waste management. It also didn't impose global, legally binding rules, instead asking nations to make their own commitments to ending plastic pollution. What this means for Canadians Canada had been part of the High Ambition Coalition to end plastic pollution since its inauguration in 2022. "Plastic pollution knows no borders, global rules are essential to protect ecosystems, coastal and Indigenous communities, and to address transboundary threats," Kennan Nembhard, a press secretary with Environment and Climate Change Canada, told CBC News in a statement on Thursday. Canada generates 4.7 million tonnes of plastic waste per year and only recycles about eight per cent, according to Oceana Canada. "If you want to fight plastic pollution effectively, you need to do so at the source, because we've been making plastic for over five decades now and recycling has never hit double-digits efficiency numbers," said Merante from Oceana Canada. "We have seen plastic wash up on our shores, fill our oceans, fill the stomachs of wildlife like whales and seabirds and dolphins. We have seen the devastating effects of this and now we're learning the human health effects of this." Merante says that without a treaty, there aren't clear next steps for Canadians. He hopes the government will pass new legislation to provide some guidance, but says businesses need to be on board for things to change.
Associated Press
07-08-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Secured Signing Expands Capabilities with In-Person Electronic Notarization Upgrade
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Aug. 7, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Secured Signing, a global leader in digital signature and online notarization technology, has announced a significant upgrade to its In-Person Electronic Notarization (IPEN) solution. The revamped IPEN experience is now fully integrated into the same intuitive dashboard used for Remote Online Notarization (RON) and Digital Signatures—enabling notaries to manage in-person signings with greater speed, convenience, and consistency. This enhancement tackles the inefficiencies of traditional paper-based notarizations, eliminating the need for printing, scanning, and manual storage. As digital transformation accelerates across industries, Secured Signing continues to prioritize the human element, recognizing that some transactions are best conducted face-to-face. The upgraded IPEN solution delivers the reliability of personal interaction, powered by the efficiency and security of advanced digital tools. Key features and benefits of the enhanced IPEN solution include: This IPEN upgrade is an ideal solution for modern in-house notaries who want to provide a full digital notarization session without the need for pre-organizing or printing paper documents. It allows for all necessary documents to be signed digitally and securely, streamlining the process and eliminating traditional delays. Learn more: About Secured Signing: Secured Signing is a leading provider of cloud-based Digital Signature, Video Signing, and Remote Online Notarization solutions. Committed to innovation and security, Secured Signing helps businesses and individuals streamline their document signing processes while ensuring the integrity and authenticity of their digital transactions. Its mission is to empower businesses and individuals with a secure, efficient, and user-friendly way to sign and notarize documents. Learn more: MULTIMEDIA: Image link for media: Image caption: Secured Signing Expands Capabilities with In-Person Electronic Notarization Upgrade. NEWS SOURCE: Secured Signing Keywords: Notary Public and eNotary, Secured Signing, In-Person Electronic Notarization, IPEN solution, digital signature and online notarization technology, MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Secured Signing) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire. Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P128303 APNF0325A To view the original version, visit: © 2025 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA. RIGHTS GRANTED FOR REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY ANY LEGITIMATE MEDIA OUTLET - SUCH AS NEWSPAPER, BROADCAST OR TRADE PERIODICAL. MAY NOT BE USED ON ANY NON-MEDIA WEBSITE PROMOTING PR OR MARKETING SERVICES OR CONTENT DEVELOPMENT. Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.
