Environmental groups are warning that nations are on the brink of agreeing to a global plastics treaty that falls short of necessary demands. The draft treaty, distributed to delegates on Friday, fails to include definitive caps on plastic production and a prohibition or gradual elimination of hazardous plastics and chemicals. Despite significant support for robust measures against plastic pollution, the current draft is deemed inadequate by WWF Vice President Erin Simon.
Progress has been hindered by oil-producing countries such as Saudi Arabia, which oppose limits on plastic production, and lobbyists from the plastics industry, who form a large group at the negotiation table. Panama’s proposal to delay setting a specific limit on plastic production but require signatories to agree on a cap received support from over 100 countries. However, environmental advocates caution that delegates should not pursue consensus at the cost of ambition.
The draft treaty’s absence of a ban on particularly harmful plastics and additives has been criticized by WWF and other organizations. Simon argued that a feeble treaty relying on voluntary actions will collapse under the plastic crisis’s burden, perpetuating avoidable damage. A coalition of civil society groups held a press conference, issuing a statement for a forceful treaty that ends the global plastic crisis.
As negotiations continue until Sunday or Monday, WWF and other organizations are urging nations to adopt binding regulations and enforceable measures against plastic pollution to address the issue before it’s too late.
Source: https://kawsachunnews.com/w/urgent-plastics-treaty-talks-miss-mark-as-deadline-looms