A draft international treaty to address plastic pollution could emerge later this year, following U.N.-led negotiations in Paris that ended Friday.
Convened by the United Nations-affiliated Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, the negotiations involved delegates from 169 countries plus more than 900 non-governmental organizations, working to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution including marine environments.
The next step is preparing a draft for approval at the next session scheduled in November in Nairobi, Kenya.
Inger Andersen, executive director of the U.N. Environment Programme behind the talks said in a release that she was encouraged by the progress made in Paris.
"The world is calling for an agreement that is broad, innovative, inclusive and transparent, one that leans on science and learns from stakeholders, and one that ensures support for developing nations," she said.
The "zero draft" text would reflect options that address disparate positions held by various countries, some of which, including the U.S., argued for allowing countries to set their own national plans, while other countries sought global targets. Countries in the "High Ambition Coalition," including ones in the European Union, Japan, Chile and many island nations, want global targets that reduce plastic production and pollution and restrict hazardous chemicals.
A May report released by the UNEP and the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions argued for global regulations, warning that chemicals released throughout the lifecycle of plastics pose serious health and environmental threats, with roughly 22 million tons of plastics and related chemicals are released every year. The "Chemicals in Plastics: A Technical Report" said that without limits on plastics production, pollution levels will increase, along with environmental, social and economic costs.
"Plastic has been the default option in design for too long. It is time to redesign products to use less plastic, particularly unnecessary and problematic plastics, to redesign product packaging and shipping to use less plastic, to redesign systems and products for reuse and recyclability and to redesign the broader system for justice," Ms. Andersen said. The plastic treaty negotiating committee "has the power to deliver this transformation, bringing major opportunities for everyone," she added.
