What was supposed to be the final round of negotiations for a global treaty to curb plastic pollution fell apart in Busan, South Korea over the weekend, though Canada stepped up to support a cap on plastic production, marking a shift in its stance.
The United Nations plastic talks, which began with a March, 2022 mandate to finalize a legally binding treaty by the end of 2024, ended without a deal. Instead, negotiators agreed to meet again at a later date.
“We’re not getting any closer to a [final] text that is an ambitious approach to reining in plastic pollution around the world,” Environmental Defence Canada senior program manager for plastics Karen Wirsig, who attended the negotiations, told The Energy Mix.
“We are circling, and I would say that the only good thing is that there’s momentum from a growing number of countries who do support the measures that are needed.”
The negotiations highlighted a divide between two camps: over 100 nations, including Canada, called for a cap on plastic production, while oil-producing countries like Saudi Arabia and Russia advocated focusing on plastic waste management rather than production limits.
“There should be no problem with producing plastics,” argued Saudi delegate Abdulrahman Al Gwaiz. “The problem is the pollution, not the plastics themselves.”
Similarly, representatives from Kuwait said that “the objective of this treaty is to end plastic pollution not plastic itself,” as “plastic has brought immense benefit to societies worldwide.”
The petrochemicals used for manufacturing plastics are expected to drive demand for fossil fuels in the coming decades as their use in other applications like transportation fuel declines, writes OilPrice.com. According to an analysis by the Center for International Environmental Law, the plastics talks drew 220 lobbyists for fossil fuel and chemical industries—a larger number than any national delegation, including host South Korea’s 140 participants.
“We’re not just talking about oil and gas extractors here, although they are here, for sure,” explained Wirsig. “But we’re also talking about the range of companies that use plastics to package and market their goods.”
Despite several proposed plans—including one from Panama that would have established a pathway for a target to reduce production, without prescribing a specific target—the talks concluded with an agreement to finalize the text at a later meeting, writes Al Jazeera.
“Negotiators have reached a greater degree of convergence on the structure and elements of the treaty text, as well as a better understanding of country positions and shared challenges,” said UN Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Andersen. “But it is clear there is persisting divergence in critical areas and more time is needed for these areas to be addressed.”
Canada, which subsidizes plastic production and exports millions of kilograms of plastic waste each month, had previously been hesitant to fully commit to a production cap, with Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault saying he was not opposed but didn’t see how it would be enforced. Wirsig said Canada took an important step in embracing a production cap this time around.
“I think Canada did show up here and did come down on the side of the momentum towards a progressive and ambitious treaty,” said Wirsig. “That is really the one bright spot of what has been a really frustrating week.”
Canada also came out strongly for a treaty text that recognized the rights of Indigenous peoples, Wirsig added.
Globally, plastic pollution is a pressing environmental and humanitarian concern that results in 19 to 23 million tonnes of plastic waste accumulating in waterways like lakes, rivers, and oceans each year.
Plastic production is also a key source of carbon emissions, expected to outpace coal by 2030. Life-cycle measurements of emissions from plastics shows that they contributed more than 2.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2023, or roughly 5% of total global emissions. Without a regulatory cap, global production of plastics is expected to increase from the 400 million tonnes produced each year.
