Nations meet in final round of plastic pollution treaty talks in Busan

A last round of negotiations on a legally binding treaty to address the global scourge of plastic pollution has opened in Busan, South Korea, where negotiators gathered on Monday in a final push towards an agreement.

National delegations still have a lot to hammer out before there is a treaty. Most contentious is whether there will be a limit on the amount of plastic that companies are allowed to produce.

Led by Norway and Rwanda, 66 countries plus the European Union say they want to address the total plastic on Earth by controlling plastic design, production, consumption and what happens at the end of its life.

Some plastic-producing and oil and gas countries, including Saudi Arabia, vigorously oppose such limits.

Global plastics production is set to reach 736 million tons by 2040, up 70 per cent from 2020, without policy changes, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Negotiators must also decide whether the treaty will reduce or eliminate single-use plastics. They’ll have to resolve whether to end the use of hazardous chemicals in plastics and whether these steps will be mandated or merely encouraged.

Their common objective is to protect human health and the environment.

There are some things many countries agree on. They want provisions in a treaty to promote the redesign of plastic products so they can be recycled and reused. They want to invest to better manage plastic waste. They want to increase recycling rates and help waste pickers transition to safer jobs. There is agreement that there needs to be a mechanism to help countries pay for anything required of them.

Environmental groups and Indigenous leaders want a holistic approach.

Graham Forbes, who is leading a Greenpeace delegation in Busan, said his group could support an agreement that puts sensible guardrails in place to reduce the amount of plastic produced, eliminates toxic chemicals and protects people from the uncontrolled use of plastics. That’s achievable, but will take political leadership and courage not seen yet in earlier negotiations, he added.

Frankie Orona, executive director of the Texas-based Society of Native Nations, said they demand a treaty that tackles the root causes of the crisis rather than just managing plastic waste.

“We must seize this moment and leave a legacy we can be proud of, with a non-toxic sustainable future for all children and our children’s children,” he said.

The plastics industry wants to focus on redesign, recycling and reuse.

Industry leaders want an agreement that prevents plastic pollution by redesigning plastics to be reused, recycled and remade into new products. They say this will keep the materials in circulation and out of the environment.

Company executives said they’ll support a treaty that recognises plastics’ benefits to society, while ending pollution.

“I would hate to miss this opportunity because we get fixated on issues that divide us rather than unite us in this purpose of ultimately addressing the issue of plastic pollution,” said Steve Prusak, president and CEO of Chevron Phillips Chemical Company. “It’s a really critical time. We’re really hopeful that what we get out of the meetings will lead to practical, implementable policies and harmonisation across the globe.”

The United Nations wants negotiators to reach an agreement in Busan.

UN Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Andersen said the treaty talks are a historic opportunity to land an agreement and course-correct, something “entirely within our reach”.

“We can sit and wait and negotiate and negotiate and negotiate. But meanwhile our oceans are chockablock with plastic,” she said.

It’s the fifth time the world’s nations are convening to craft a legally binding plastic pollution accord. In addition to the national delegations, representatives from the plastics industry, scientists and environmentalists have come to shape how the world tackles the surging problem.

“We must end plastic pollution before plastic pollution ends us,” Kim Wansup, South Korea’s minister of environment, said during the opening session.

The planet is “ choking on plastic, ” according to the United Nations. It’s polluting lakes, rivers, oceans and people’s bodies.

The talks this week will extend to Saturday.

Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest exporter of primary polypropylene, a common type of plastic, accounting for an estimated 17 per cent of exports last year, according to the Plastics Industry Association.

China, the United States and Germany led the global plastics trade by exports and imports in 2023, the association said.

Research published in Science this month found it is still possible to nearly end plastic pollution. The policies that make the most difference are: mandating new products be made with 40 per cent post-consumer recycled plastic; limiting new plastic production to 2020 levels; investing significantly in plastic waste management, such as landfills and waste collection services and implementing a small fee on plastic packaging.

The treaty is the only way to solve plastic pollution at this scale, said Douglas McCauley, professor at UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley. McCauley co-led the research.

Margaret Spring, chief conservation and science officer for Monterey Bay Aquarium, said plastic pollution used to be considered largely a waste problem. Now it is widely viewed as an existential crisis that must be addressed, said Spring, who represents the International Science Council at the negotiations.

“I’ve never seen people’s understanding of this issue move as fast, given how complex the topic is,” she said. “It gives me hope that we can actually start moving the dial.”

AP