Negotiations about ending plastic pollution globally through the first legally binding UN treaty have finalized in Busan, South Korea last week. Over 170 countries and more than 600 organizations attended the meetings. They proved unable to reach consensus, after oil-producing nations led by Saudi Arabia and Russia blocked efforts by 100 countries to place limits on new production.

As was expected the discussion around putting cap on global plastic production was the main contentious issue. Currently 460 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually. Without a production cap, this amount is expected to triple by 2060. Given the forecasted decrease of oil used for transport, plastics are the biggest growth market for the petrochemical industry according to the IEA. ICCA also resisted a production cap, instead arguing that the focus should be on better waste management. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights had stated that plastic pollution is incompatible with the enjoyment of the rights to development and a healthy environment.  

An obligation to phase out certain chemicals and products damaging to human health and the environment was also supported by 140 countries but blocked by a small minority. And remarkably, large consumer companies such as Walmart and Nestlé were among the group of 200 companies asking for efforts to end the use of single-use plastics.

It is unclear when a sixth round of talks will take place.

ICTA has proposed concrete measures to protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects of plastics, while retaining the societal benefits of plastics. For more info see here.