Latest news with #IngerAndersen
CBS News
a day ago
- Health
- CBS News
UN treaty to curb plastic pollution could result in major changes, Chicago expert says
Plastic waste is projected to triple by 2060, with its use known to impact health and cause damage. It is a topic for world leaders meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, who this week have been discussing a treaty meant to end the problem. A doctor and professor at the University of Illinois Chicago who was part of the meetings said the treaty is a long time coming and could result in major changes. A brand-new report on the risks and consequences of the world's reliance on plastics places the cost of plastic pollution to health worldwide at $1.5 trillion. The report was released as world leaders and thousands of delegates from nearly 180 nations meet in Geneva, Switzerland — working, again, on the world's first treaty on plastic pollution. "People are frankly outraged by the plastic in their environment," said United Nations Environment Programme executive director Inger Andersen. The goal of the UNEP-facilitated talks this week is "to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution." This is the sixth attempt by the UNEP to do so, and the world leaders are hoping it's the last. "What they come up with in Geneva could well impact on how we approach plastics," said Dr. Peter Orris, an attending physician at UI Health and a professor at the school of public health at UIC. When CBS News Chicago spoke to Orris, he had just returned from a week in Geneva, where he was part of meetings on plastics. "These plastics we are concerned about are in our own bodies, throughout our bodies, in the food we eat, fish we eat," Orris said. With 19 million to 23 million tons of plastic waste leaking into aquatic ecosystems, that figure could increase by 50% by 2040 without immediate action, according to the UN. But Orris, as a Chicago connection to the conversations happening on a global stage had a focus outside such critical issues as pollution in the oceans. Orris represented the World Federation of Public Health Associations, discussing plastics in the medical field. "The technology now, and the medical technology has developed where we are able to see these micro- and nanosized particles, and we now understand these plastics we are concerned about are in our own bodies," Orris said. "The health sector is a very big sector all over the world and uses a lot of plastics." Orris said this needs to change. "We have to find ways of reducing the single-use plastics in healthcare," said Orris. "If we can do things to change our behavior in health care and reduce the overall impact of these plastics and the toxins, we want to be involved in it." Back in Chicago, Orris is keeping tabs on what is still happening overseas. "Hopefully, it will be positive," he said. "We will see happens at the end." The conversations in Geneva continue for another week.
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Why the world is divided on plastic as UN treaty talks underway
Almost every week seems to bring a new report that plastic is even worse than had been thought for both human and planetary health. This week, it's a paper in the Lancet that warns of a 'grave, growing' danger from the rising tide of the material, and puts its health-related economic costs at more than $1.5 trillion a year. Yet, as diplomats gather for 10 days in Switzerland to negotiate an international treaty to tackle plastic pollution, the world seems further away from an agreement than it did when this process started three years ago. The gathering convened by the United Nations is the sixth round of talks, after a previous 'final' conference in Busan, South Korea, failed last winter. In the interim, there have been numerous negotiations to wrangle down the proposed text of the treaty. This cuts down on the work that delegates need to do in person. 'We are here to find a solution while not leaving anyone behind, and while ensuring that the economic wheels will keep turning,' Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Programme, said at the opening press conference on Tuesday. 'What is sure is that no one wants to live with the plastic pollution.' Few places on the planet are free from plastic pollution which is a fact of life today in Bali, Indonesia. Picture: Unsplash/Naja Bertolt Jensen /UN Nevertheless, there remains a fundamental rift between countries that want a broad treaty capping the amount of new plastic produced and certain toxic chemicals in them, and a smaller group that wants to limit the agreement to improving plastic waste collection and boosting recycling. This split has dominated previous rounds of talks. 'I do see that division persisting,' said Erin Simon, vice president and head of plastic waste and business at the World Wildlife Fund — one of the many NGOs pushing for a stricter treaty. Differences will likely be even harder to overcome this time around because the world has seen leadership changes since Busan — most notably the re-election of US President Donald Trump, whose policies favor extracting more fossil fuels, the building blocks of plastic. The US 'supports an agreement that respects national sovereignty and focuses on reducing plastic pollution without imposing onerous restrictions on producers,' a State Department spokesperson said. The State Department leads the US delegation at the talks. Jessica Roff, plastics and petrochemicals campaign manager for the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) US & Canada, described the US position as 'disappointing". 'The only way to effectively address the plastic crisis around the world is to have a legally binding treaty with production reduction at its core,' she said. Meanwhile, the volume of plastic in the world and the scientific record of its risks keep rising. 'Giant Plastic Tap' sculpture by Canadian artist Benjamin Von Wong displayed outside the fourth session of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution in Ottawa, Canada, on April 23, 2024. Picture: Dave Chan / AFP Plastics production continues to grow explosively, according to a 2024 report from the the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. It doubled between 2000 and 2019, from 234 to 460 million tons. Without more ambitious policies, the amount of plastics produced around the world is set to reach 736 million tons by 2040. Of the 16,000-plus chemicals in plastics, more than one-fourth are known to be hazardous to human health, while the majority have never been tested for toxicity, according to a recent paper in Nature. These chemicals appear to be found in every major plastic type, the study found. But already, some have been linked to reproductive conditions, lower IQ in children and cancer and stroke risk in adults, with the highest risks seen when exposure occurs in utero, in infancy or in early childhood. Scientists are in the early stages of understanding the health effects of microplastic and nanoplastic particles, which have been detected in human organs, blood and semen. A paper published just last week finds that adult humans inhale 68,000 lung-penetrating microplastic fragments a day — 100 times previous estimates. A penguin trapped in a discarded plastic net Another from last year found that patients with the particles in the walls of their blood vessels had a higher risk of heart attack, stroke or death roughly three years later. There's also evidence that plastics' impact on climate change is more powerful than previously thought. A 2024 paper by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that in 2019, primary plastics production generated 2.24 gigatons of CO2 equivalent, or 5.3% of total greenhouse gas emissions that year — significantly more than one previous estimate of 3.4%. A new initiative called the Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics will monitor global efforts to reduce plastic exposure and mitigate its risks. It is a joint project of Boston College, Heidelberg University in Germany, the Centre Scientifique de Monaco and Australia's Minderoo Foundation. 'Plastic has been kind of invisible, overshadowed by the climate crisis, by air pollution, by things like wildfires,' said Boston College Professor of Biology Philip Landrigan, lead author of the new Lancet literature review and a co-chair of the initiative. 'It's taken us a while to realise the threat plastic pollution poses.' — Bloomberg
Zawya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Zawya
Oman supports UN effort for treaty on plastic pollution control
Muscat – Oman is participating in high-level United Nations negotiations in Geneva aimed at framing a legally binding global treaty to tackle plastic pollution, including in marine environments. The sultanate's delegation – led by Environment Authority – is attending the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) from August 5 to 14. Involving nearly 180 countries, the talks are being held under the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to develop a treaty to end the plastic pollution crisis. The negotiations are expected to shape a comprehensive agreement that addresses the entire life cycle of plastics, from design and production to disposal. 'The world wants and indeed needs a plastic conventional treaty because the crisis is getting out of hand – and people are frankly outraged,' said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. She noted that plastic pollution has become widespread, affecting oceans, ecosystems and even human health. 'We know that plastic is in our nature, in our oceans and yes, even in our bodies. What is sure is that no one wants to live with the plastic pollution.' A 22-page draft document prepared by the INC, containing 32 articles, will serve as the basis for negotiations. The text outlines measures to promote plastic circularity, prevent leakage into the environment, and regulate production and waste management. 'Some countries will have to deal with reduction, others with mechanical recycling and others with alternatives,' Inger said. 'Let's see how we can get to this through the negotiations. I think there's a lot of good faith in the working group right now.' UNEP has warned that without coordinated global action, plastic waste is projected to triple by 2060, posing significant environmental and public health risks. The Geneva talks represent a critical step towards reaching a final agreement, with countries expected to work through the text article by article. If adopted, the treaty would be the first global legal instrument to comprehensively address plastic pollution. © Apex Press and Publishing Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Plastic pollution treaty talks open with 'global crisis' warning
The 184 countries gathering to forge a landmark treaty on combating plastic pollution were told Tuesday they must find a way to tackle a global crisis wrecking ecosystems and trashing the oceans. States should seize the chance to shape history, the man chairing the talks said as 10 days of negotiations kicked off at the United Nations in Geneva. "We are facing a global crisis," Ecuadoran diplomat Luis Vayas Valdivieso told the more than 1,800 negotiators as they prepared to thrash out their differences in the search for common ground. "Plastic pollution is damaging ecosystems, polluting our oceans and rivers, threatening biodiversity, harming human health, and unfairly impacting the most vulnerable," he said. "The urgency is real, the evidence is clear -- and the responsibility is on us." Plastic pollution is so ubiquitous that microplastics have been found on the highest mountain peaks, in the deepest ocean trench and scattered throughout almost every part of the human body. But after five rounds of talks, three years of negotiations hit the wall in Busan, South Korea, in December when oil-producing states blocked a consensus. - Pathway to deal - Key figures steering this revived attempt insist a deal is within reach this time around. "There's been extensive diplomacy from Busan till now," the UN Environment Programme's Executive Director Inger Andersen told AFP. The UNEP is hosting the talks, and Andersen said conversations between different regions and interest groups had generated momentum. "Most countries, actually, that I have spoken with have said: 'We're coming to Geneva to strike the deal'. "Will it be easy? No. Will it be straightforward? No. Is there a pathway for a deal? Absolutely." - Dumped, burned and trashed - More than 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally each year, half of which is for single-use items. While 15 percent of plastic waste is collected for recycling, only nine percent is actually recycled. Nearly half, or 46 percent, ends up in landfills, while 17 percent is incinerated and 22 percent is mismanaged and becomes litter. In 2022, countries agreed they would find a way to address the crisis by the end of 2024. However, the supposedly final negotiations on a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the seas, flopped in Busan. One group of countries sought an ambitious deal to limit production and phase out harmful chemicals. But a clutch of mostly oil-producing nations rejected production limits and wanted to focus on treating waste. - Production cap gap - A cap on plastic production is one of the thorniest issues being debated in Geneva. Katrin Schneeberger, the director of Switzerland's environment ministry, told the opening press conference: "This is no call for a production cap. Clarifying this in informal meetings was an important message to producing countries." Without commenting on whether there would be a cap, Andersen then stressed that the treaty would cover the entire life cycle of plastics, from production to waste. More than 600 non-governmental organisations are in Geneva, and this time have access to the discussion group meetings. "We have to stop making so much plastic," Greenpeace's delegation chief Graham Forbes told AFP. The group and its allies want a treaty "that cuts plastic production, eliminates toxic chemicals and provides the financing that's going to be required to transition to a fossil fuel, plastic-free future", he said. "The fossil fuel industry is here in force," he noted, adding: "We cannot let a few countries determine humanity's future when it comes to plastic pollution." - Big triggers - France's Ecological Transition Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher -- one of a few dozen ministers planning on heading to Geneva later in the talks -- warned Tuesday that the negotiations would be "difficult". "I call on each state to take responsibility before we are overwhelmed by this pollution," she said in a statement. Panama's delegate Juan Monterrey Gomez -- a fellow proponent of an ambitious treaty -- voiced optimism that a treaty could be struck on August 14. "The beginning is better than Busan," he said of the start of talks. No country wanting to be held responsible for sinking the negotiations "is probably the biggest trigger we can push", he told AFP. rjm-im/sbk Sign in to access your portfolio
Arab News
3 days ago
- Health
- Arab News
Only a global pact can stop the threat posed by plastics
No one can contest the fact that plastic and microplastics have been found in Arctic sea ice, the bellies of whales, Earth's atmosphere and oceans, as well as human blood vessels and digestive systems. That is why governments have been for years under increasing pressure to unite in action against this global threat but to no avail. A recent study by The Lancet, a highly respected British medical journal, warned that plastic pollution is a 'grave, growing, and under-recognized danger' to human health that is causing disease and death from infancy to old age, and costing the world at least $1.5 trillion a year in health-related economic losses. The report comparing plastic to air pollution and lead said that the impact on health could be mitigated by laws and policies. But talks this week in Geneva on a global treaty on plastics may well fail — as have the previous five meetings convened by the UN — for lack of consensus between over 180 nations on whether to endorse a pact to limit production and phase out harmful chemicals from the manufacturing process, or to focus only on recycling and treating waste, better recycling, and future technological breakthroughs to decompose plastic harmlessly. One would hope that negotiators would face up to those deep divisions and try to mediate the health and ecological hazards that result from plastic use and disposal worldwide. UN Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Andersen is optimistic that 'it is possible to leave Geneva with a treaty' despite the diverging interests of nations, industries, and those trying to protect the environment and human health. But in an international system under strain in multiple areas, from wars to environmental and tech issues, it is highly unlikely that delegates will be able to bridge the gap to reach an agreement. Even if they do, realization of a treaty faces many obstacles and hindrances — as witnessed in other situations, from feeding the hungry in Gaza to stopping the war in Ukraine. Despite that, the stakes are high, and if nothing is done, global plastic consumption could triple by 2060, according to OECD projections. Meanwhile, plastic waste in soils and waterways is expected to increase by 50 percent by 2040, according to the UNEP, which is overseeing the talks in Geneva. Many initiatives are offering hope for a better future. Mohamed Chebaro About 460 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally each year, half of which is single-use. And less than 10 percent of plastic waste is recycled. In rich or poor countries, the harm of plastic is still largely unknown, but evidence is mounting that burning plastic in dumps and open fires is a major problem for the planet. A study published last year in the journal Nature and based on research by a team from UK Leeds University identified India as the world's largest emitter of macroplastic pollution. The Leeds researchers created a detailed global inventory of plastic pollution by using AI to assist in modeling waste management in more than 50,000 municipalities. They estimated at least 52 million tonnes of plastic waste entered the environment in 2020, 43 percent as unburned litter, and the remainder through open fires lit in homes, streets, or dumpsites. Improperly burning garbage and leaving plastic to smolder does not make it 'disappear,' but spreads smaller pieces around the environment, worsening air quality and exposing people living nearby to harmful additives, the research found. Against the doomsday backdrop above, many initiatives are offering hope for a better future — from planting trees and rewilding to the commendable work of some municipalities seeking to recycle with zero waste. Yet, in an increasingly fractured international order, the push to establish pacts limiting plastic pollution could be challenging. Governments have been regularly falling short of climate pledges as funding and a willingness to protect the environment give way to geostrategic priorities. Conflicts, displacement, and poverty eradication are also proving intractable problems. Plastic, like many other life hazards, calls for a global approach to tame its harms, and unless strained ties between the superpowers ease, discord will obstruct efforts not only to limit pollution, reduce plastic use, and combat climate change, but also to ensure a secure, sustainable future for all. • Mohamed Chebaro is a British-Lebanese journalist with more than 25 years' experience covering war, terrorism, defense, current affairs and diplomacy.
