Latest news with #pollutioncontrol
Japan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Tough U.S. stance casts gloom over plastics pollution deal after Geneva flop
The collapse on Friday of a sixth round of U.N. 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 current U.S. 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 former U.S. President 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 U.S. 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 over 600 public interest NGOs. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment about its positions and its role in the talks. U.S. delegate John Thompson declined to respond to questions from a reporter on the outcome. A State Department spokesperson previously said that 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 U.S. climate and environmental policies that it says place too many burdens on national industry. Earlier this 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 tons of plastic waste accumulates — some of which washes up on the beaches of island states. Some participants also blamed organizers, the International Negotiating Committee (INC), a U.N.-established body supported by the U.N. Environment Program (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. U.N. provisional rules require all states to agree — a constraint that some see as unworkable, especially under a U.S. 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 U.N.-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 onboard 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. One positive development was that top plastics producer China publicly acknowledged the need to address the full-life cycle of plastics, said David Azoulay, Managing Attorney of the Center for International Environmental Law's Geneva Office. "This is new, and I think this opens an interesting door."
Zawya
10-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: TNPA unveils $6.7mln multi-purpose vessel for Cape Town port
Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has unveiled a new locally built multi-purpose vessel valued at R120 million, marking a major milestone in its ongoing Marine Fleet Renewal Programme. The new vessel, named Yarona, was officially christened during a ceremony at Damen Shipyards Cape Town on Monday. Designed to enhance port maintenance, environmental management and operational capacity at the Port of Cape Town, Yarona is set to bolster TNPA's marine services and pollution control operations. Multi-functional vessel for port operations Built by Damen Shipyards Cape Town, the 19.05m vessel features an all-welded steel hull and superstructure for durability in harsh harbour conditions. It has been purpose-built to perform maintenance dredging, remove debris, assist with quay wall repairs, support oil spill response, and carry out fender replacements and lighthouse maintenance. "Our ability to deliver this vessel is a testament to our mission of building vessels in Africa for Africa. It underscores our commitment to localisation and supplier development, while contributing to job creation and skills development in the local maritime sector," said Sefale Montsi, director at Damen Shipyards Cape Town. Infrastructure-led growth Speaking at the christening, Transnet Group chief operating officer, Solly Letsoalo, said the investment forms part of Transnet's broader infrastructure-led growth strategy. "At the heart of our Reinvent for Growth Strategy is infrastructure-led growth and a commitment to reliable and efficient operations across our operations. As Transnet, we remain focused on modernising our fleet and ensuring fit-for-purpose infrastructure to meet the needs of our customers and the broader South African economy," Letsoalo said. The name Yarona, meaning 'Ours' in Setswana, was chosen by a TNPA employee through an internal naming competition. Job creation and local impact The project created around 18 job opportunities during its 14-month construction period, with a strong focus on involving individuals from previously disadvantaged communities, including youth and women. Once operational, Yarona will employ three new TNPA crew members in addition to two existing crew from the previous vessel it replaces. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Khaleej Times
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- Khaleej Times
India: New Delhi says fuel ban on old vehicles not feasible
Two days after India's capital stopped fuel sales to ageing vehicles to tackle the sprawling megacity's hazardous air pollution, authorities on Thursday said the ban was not practical. New Delhi is regularly ranked as one of the most polluted capitals globally with vehicular emissions being one of the worst offenders, according to several studies. At the peak of the smog, levels of PM2.5 pollutants -- dangerous cancer-causing microparticles small enough to enter the bloodstream through the lungs -- surge to more than 60 times the World Health Organization's recommended daily maximum. The fuel restriction was introduced on Tuesday to reinforce an already-existing but widely disregarded ban on petrol cars older than 15 years, and diesel vehicles older than 10. But Delhi's environment minister, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, told reporters the fuel ban was not feasible because of "crucial issues related to technological glitches". Number plate-recognising cameras and loudspeakers installed at fuelling stations were "malfunctioning", Sirsa said, leading to "fights and arguments". The ban had resulted in public "discontent", he added. Sirsa said he had written to the area's pollution control authority, explaining the problems in implementing the ban. "Unless there is a robust system and the ban is everywhere, it will not work," he added. The ban was to be extended to satellite cities around the capital, an area home to more than 32 million people, from November. A study in The Lancet medical journal attributed 1.67 million premature deaths in India to air pollution in 2019. Each winter, vehicle and factory emissions coupled with farm fires from surrounding states wrap the city in a dystopian haze. Cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds worsen the situation by trapping deadly pollutants. Piecemeal government initiatives, such as partial restrictions on fossil fuel-powered transport and water trucks spraying mist to clear particulate matter from the air, have failed to make a noticeable impact.
Japan Times
17-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Investors want clear ocean management rules to scale up funding
A U.N. push for investment to protect the world's oceans yielded around $10 billion in deals at a conference last week — way below the estimated annual need, as many investors seek clearer regulation on ocean management before committing funds. While political leaders at the United Nations conference in Nice, France, took steps to tackle overfishing and pollution threatening delicate ecosystems and the people who depend on them, getting countries to agree to better governance has proven tough. Just 50 countries have, so far, ratified a new High Seas treaty, which sets out rules agreed on by more than 130 nations in 2023 to govern international waters and clamp down on harmful practices. The United States, pulled out of various climate initiatives by President Donald Trump, is among those yet to ratify the treaty. The lack of a clear governing framework and robust ocean-related data has stymied private sector finance to date, said Oliver Withers, head of nature at British lender Standard Chartered. "The major dynamic that doesn't apply to terrestrial is the high seas don't belong to any one individual sovereign," he said. "It is a significant challenge, there is no single sovereign responsible for the high seas." Of the deals chalked up in France, the bulk came from public sector banks, including $2.5 billion in funding by the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) and €3 billion ($3.5 billion) from a group of development banks to fight plastic pollution. While a step up, the total figure falls far short of what is needed. Between 2015 and 2019, only $10 billion was invested against the U.N. estimate of $175 billion in required annual funding. "Public finance isn't enough, but private finance is even less. So I think it's a space in its infancy," said Francine Pickup, Deputy Director, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support at the U.N. Development Programme. Pickup said improving the policy backdrop and regulation, including removing subsidies she said encouraged harmful practices such as overfishing, was key, followed by the creation of a pipeline of investments including in start-ups focused on ocean-related technology. To date, the sector has received just a small slice of overall funds, data shared with Reuters by industry tracker Sightline Climate showed. Between 2020 and 2025, ocean tech received just 0.4% of the $202 billion invested across all sectors during that period, although the data showed a stronger start to 2025. "What we seek as investors is that governments and the policymakers address systemic risks," said Robert-Alexandre Poujade, biodiversity lead at BNP Paribas Asset Management, adding he would welcome the treaty "if it has lots of teeth and enforcement mechanisms." Fixing the funding shortfall also requires a concerted effort by policymakers and investors to tackle overlapping challenges to protecting marine biodiversity and ocean health. A warming planet is heating up the oceans, exacerbating effects such as water acidification and coral bleaching that climate scientists say will be improved if the world manages to cut carbon emissions as planned. Overfishing and polluting sea vessels, offshore oil drilling and, potentially, deep-sea mining that collectively damage ocean health also require firmer policy action, scientists, ocean experts and investors say. While action has hitherto been slow, there were signs of progress in Nice, as more than 20 countries backed a call by France to prevent deep sea mining; and a number of fresh Marine Protected Areas were created. "In a sense the ocean is the last area that we have been pillaging without thinking about tomorrow," said Flavien Jouber, Seychelles' minister for agriculture climate change and environment, describing it as a "sense of free-for-all."
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Indian's Kerala state on high alert as vessel with hazardous cargo sinks
India's southern state of Kerala has issued a high alert after a container ship carrying hazardous cargo sank off its coast in the Arabian Sea. The Liberia-flagged MSC ELSA 3 was sailing between the Indian ports of Vizhinjam and Kochi when it sank about 38 nautical miles off Kerala on Sunday morning. All 24 crew members were rescued, India's defence ministry said. The vessel went down with 640 containers, including 13 with an unspecified 'hazardous cargo' and 12 containing calcium carbide. It also had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tons of furnace oil in its tanks. The Kerala chief minister's office on Monday urged people to stay away from some of the containers that began washing ashore. It also advised fishermen not to venture too close to the sunken ship. The Indian Coast Guard said it had sent an aircraft with an oil spill detection system to survey the area on Sunday. It also deployed a ship carrying pollution control equipment to the site of the accident.
