By Valerie Volcovici and Joyce Lee
(Reuters) – As delegates from 175 countries gathered in Busan, South Korea, on Monday for the fifth round of talks aimed at securing an international treaty to curb plastic pollution, lingering divisions cast doubt on whether there is a final deal to come. the view.
South Korea hosts the fifth and apparently final meeting of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) this week, after the previous round of talks in Ottawa in April ended without a path forward to limit plastic production. .
Instead, the meeting issued an order for technical groups to focus on chemicals of concern and other measures after petrochemical-producing countries such as Saudi Arabia and China strongly opposed efforts to target plastic production.
The United States raised eyebrows in August when it said it would support limits on plastic production in the treaty, aligning it with the EU, Kenya, Peru and other countries in the High Ambition Coalition.
However, the election of Donald Trump as president has raised questions about that position, since during his first presidency he rejected multilateral agreements and any commitment to slow or stop US oil and petrochemical production.
The US delegation did not respond to questions about whether it would reverse its new position of supporting limits on plastic production. But it “supports ensuring that the global instrument addresses plastic products, chemicals used in plastic products, and the supply of primary plastic polymers,” according to a spokesperson for the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said she was confident the talks would end with an agreement, pointing to the statement from the Group of 20 countries at a summit last week calling for a treaty. legally binding by the end of this year. .
“This is a very powerful message,” Andersen told Reuters in Baku, on the sidelines of UN climate negotiations, before traveling to Busan for talks. “We know that often everything depends on the limit, but if there is the will, I think we will achieve it.”
IMPACT ON HEALTH
For a Pacific island country like Fiji, a global plastics treaty is crucial to protecting its fragile ecosystem and public health, said Sivendra Michael, Fiji’s climate minister and chief climate and plastics negotiator.
He told Reuters on the sidelines of the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) this month that, despite not producing plastic, Fiji is bearing the brunt of its downstream pollution.
“Where do these plastics end up? They end up in our oceans, in our landfills, in our backyards. And the impact of plastics breaking down into small substances has detrimental effects, not only on the environment, but also on us as individuals. on our health,” he said, highlighting studies that showed that most of the fish consumed in the country was contaminated with microplastics.
While supporting an international treaty, the petrochemical industry has urged governments to avoid setting mandatory limits on plastic production and focus on solutions to reduce plastic waste, such as recycling.
“We would see a successful treaty if it really put… emphasis on ending plastic pollution. It shouldn’t focus on anything else.” said Martin Jung, president of high-performance materials at chemical producer BASF.
In previous conversations, the search for financing to help developing countries implement the treaty was also discussed.
At COP29, France, Kenya and Barbados proposed establishing a series of global taxes on certain sectors that could help increase the amount of money that could be made available to developing countries seeking support to help them transition to clean energy. and confront increasingly serious problems. impacts of climate change.
The proposal included a tariff of $60 to $70 per ton on primary polymer production, which on average represents about 5 to 7% of the polymer price, which could raise $25 to $35 billion per year.
Industry groups have rejected the idea, saying it will increase consumer prices.