A key United Nations meeting in South Korea has failed to produce a treaty to prevent plastic pollution, highlighting the crumbling edifice of environmental diplomacy. The meeting aimed to finalize a text for a treaty on plastic waste ahead of a planned summit next year. This would have joined existing conventions on biodiversity and climate change. The collapse comes as the world grapples with the growing issue of plastic pollution, which poses significant threats to ecosystems and human health.
The failure is attributed to opposition from oil-producing nations, including OPEC, which has hindered environmental deals in the past. However, experts stress that the real challenge lies in reducing polymers in daily life. With the EU and Japanese auto industries collapsing, it’s clear that a systemic shift towards sustainability is needed to address this critical issue.
Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-12-02/plastics-treaty-failure-is-a-canary-in-the-climate-coalmine