Global treaty talks on plastic waste: a crucial moment for our environment

At the beginning of the week, Stanley Johnson met with Luis Vayas Valdivieso, Ecuador’s ambassador to the UK and chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on plastic pollution. This meeting comes at a pivotal moment as representatives from 175 countries have agreed to draft a legally binding treaty to combat plastic pollution by 2024. The INC-5 meeting in Busan will be crucial, with only seven days allocated to finalize the treaty text. Ambassador Vayas acknowledged that the current draft is far from perfect, filled with brackets and options, and spans over 70 pages. A significant point of negotiation will be the definition of “full life cycle” concerning plastics, which is essential for addressing the broader implications on sustainable development goals, particularly health concerns related to microplastics. The lifecycle emissions from plastics are projected to rise significantly by 2050, highlighting the urgency of the situation. Calls for a framework to reduce plastic production to sustainable levels have been made by various stakeholders, including governments and civil society. Currently, less than 10% of plastics are recycled, indicating a dire need for action on the production side to make meaningful progress. The ambassador expressed determination to achieve the best possible outcome at the upcoming negotiations. The informal discussions around the “Galapagos Plastic Pollution Treaty” reflect a growing global awareness and commitment to tackling plastic waste. The ambassador hopes for high-profile support, including a visit from King Charles and Queen Camilla, to further emphasize the importance of this initiative.