Global plastic talks fail in Geneva to develop a landmark treaty to end plastic pollution. The UN negotiations, the sixth round of talks in just under three years, remained divided between a group of about 100 nations calling for curbs on production of plastic, and oil states pushing for a focus on recycling.
An opposing group of fossil fuel-producing nations – including Gulf states, Russia and the US – vehemently reject the inclusion in the treaty of any provisions aimed at reducing plastic production, which is set to triple by 2060. The talks were unable to find a way to bridge those divergent positions.
The UK’s Marine Minister Emma Hardy said she was hugely disappointed that an agreement wasn’t reached. “Plastic pollution is a global crisis that no country can solve alone, and the UK is committed to working with others at home and abroad to protect the environment and pave the way to a circular economy,” she added.
Plastic production has increased from two million tonnes in 1950 to about 475 million in 2022 – and it is expected to keep rising without extra measures. About 100 countries, which include the UK and EU bloc, had been pushing for curbs to production in the treaty and more consistent design globally to make recycling easier.
A report released on 29 July by Greenpeace UK revealed how these talks were under threat from some of the world’s largest petrochemical companies who had been systematically lobbying against cuts to plastic production while generating massive profits from their growing plastics business. The report revealed that since the treaty talks began in November 2022, seven companies alone had produced enough plastic to fill 6.3 million rubbish trucks – equivalent to five and a half trucks every minute.
Graham Forbes, global plastics campaign lead for Greenpeace USA, said as the global plastic talks fail, that the inability to reach a deal in Geneva “must be a wake-up call for the world: ending plastic pollution means confronting fossil fuel interests head on”. “The vast majority of governments want a strong agreement, yet a handful of bad actors were allowed to use process to drive such ambition into the ground,” he added. “We cannot continue to do the same thing and expect a different result. The time for hesitation is over.”
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