UN says new plastic air pollution negotiations scheduled for August in Geneva

A earlier spherical of negotiations — tasked with hammering out a legally binding treaty — ended with out settlement in Busan, South Korea final 12 months. The talks have been meant to finish with the world’s first accord on reducing plastics air pollution after almost two years of discussions, however concluded with out an settlement — besides to increase talks.

The announcement on the UNEP web site of the brand new talks comes within the wake of a last-ditch COP16 finance deal on biodiversity agreed in Rome final week by delegates from some 150 nations. UNEP mentioned the new plastics talks might be held on the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, from August 5 to 14, 2020.

The brand new session might be preceded by “regional consultations” on August 4.

Unresolved disagreements

Final 12 months in Busan, delegates from almost 200 nations debated for per week on tips on how to cease tens of millions of tonnes of plastic waste from coming into the surroundings annually. Nonetheless, the talks broke down following opposition from a bloc of primarily oil-producing nations (together with Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, amongst others), who’ve rejected any limitation on the worldwide manufacturing of plastic polymers.

Regardless of the shortage of ultimate settlement, UNEP chief Inger Andersen argued that vital progress had been made in Busan. “A excessive diploma of convergence has been reached in 29 out of 32 articles which can be proposed to make up the treaty textual content,” she mentioned in a speech on the World Financial Discussion board in Davos final 12 months.

However for the reason that Busan talks, the brand new US president, Donald Trump, has clearly introduced that he needs a “return to plastic”, promising to spice up the exploitation of hydrocarbons.

Opponents of any discount in international plastic manufacturing insist that the UN treaty ought to solely cowl the recycling of plastic waste, the administration (assortment, sorting) of waste, and the design of merchandise upstream in order that they’re extra simply recyclable.

“An enormous political and diplomatic push is required within the coming months,” added Andersen throughout her speech in Davos. “Until nations and companies begin implementing options now the prices will spiral. Plastic leakage to the surroundings is predicted to develop 50 per cent by 2040. The price of damages from plastic air pollution are predicted to rise as excessive as a cumulative US$281 trillion between 2016 and 2040. And simply as prices are rising, so are dangers to companies. Shoppers, shareholders and markets are starting to maneuver,” she urged.