The United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution gathered recently in Busan, Korea, in what was supposed to be its fifth and final meeting in an effort to come up with a treaty to reduce plastic production.
On December 1, the meeting adjourned with no agreement. Delegates from 177 countries supported strong measures to reduce plastic production, but opposition from a small group of delegates from oil-producing nations blocked adoption of any binding policy.
The meeting concluded with representatives from 85 countries signing onto a declaration calling for legally binding provisions in any final treaty, including a target to reduce plastic production, phase-out of some of the most harmful plastic products, and financing.
Just weeks before the INC meeting, Azerbaijan hosted the 29th Conference of the Parties, the United Nations panel on climate change. There, delegates were informed that plastic production is responsible for four times more greenhouse gas emissions than the aviation industry, although it is not included in climate negotiations as a source of emissions.
A study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that in 2019, production of virgin plastic generated 2.24 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere – more than 5 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. That same year, emissions from aviation and shipping amounted to 1.32 billion tons.
Plastic production is predicted to triple by 2050. In addition to the visible plastic materials found in marine debris, microplastics have been found in the ocean, air, produce, and breast milk, among other things.
The head of Panama’s delegation to the Korea talks, Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez, said at the conclusion of the meeting, “Every day of delay is a day against humanity. Postponing negotiations does not postpone the crisis. When we reconvene, the stakes will be higher.”
The meeting concluded with an agreement to continue talks at a date yet to be determined.
— Patricia Tummons
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