“It is sad to think that nature speaks, and human beings do not listen. When we listen to nature and we act, we can make progress.” – French writer Victor Hugo, quoted at INC-2
Surfrider Europe's Diane Beaumenay-Joannet and Surfrider's Jennifer Savage
Despite initially successful efforts to delay progress, the second round of talks to solve the global problem of plastic pollution concluded late Friday night with just enough accomplished to make the week count. Positive outcomes included some countries, including France and the European Union (thank you, Surfrider Europe!) calling for global reduction targets on plastic production, preventing the release of microplastics into the environment and prioritizing a just transition to safer and more sustainable livelihoods for workers across the plastics supply chain.
Standing in the way, however, are certain parties with strong vested interests in the oil and petrochemical industry that want to make the potential treaty as weak as possible so that fossil plastic production can continue unabated. For the first three of five working days, these representatives of large plastics producer nations kept discussions hung up in a debate over procedural rules, insisting the Global Plastic Treaty be decided by consensus rather than by vote. Requiring consensus instead of a two-third majority vote would effectively give any one country veto power over the entire treaty, meaning true progress would be impossible.
Further, many countries – including the United States – continued to call for disparate national action plans when addressing many substantive obligations, such as reduction and reuse targets and criteria on alternatives. Some countries continued to promote chemical recycling, and many were still predominantly focused on recycling and managing plastic pollution downstream.
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Although the U.S. did acknowledge the environmental and human harm done at every stage of plastic production, the repetitive call for merely voluntary measures continued to disappoint us. Without binding global commitments to reduce plastic production, nations will sidestep global accountability and the health of our ocean, planet and people will continue to suffer. We insist the U.S. to join other leaders in making bolder commitments that will truly restore hope for the future.
Major goal met
Ultimately, the major goal of INC-2 was met. The meeting concluded with a mandate for the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) Chair to prepare a “zero draft” of the Global Plastic Treaty agreement ahead of INC-3, which will take place in Nairobi, Kenya, in November. (A “zero draft” is a first attempt to assemble thoughts related to a research topic or question, a more or less unstructured piece of writing.) Negotiations will continue at INC-4 in Ottawa, Canada, in April 2024, and INC-5 in the Republic of Korea in October or November 2024.
What happens next?
Accredited NGOs (that’s us!) have until August 15 to submit additional comments on the work we believe needs to be done. With the leadership of Surfrider Europe, we are working with our affiliates across the globe to make sure the Global Plastic Treaty results in tangible steps to stop the damage plastic pollution is doing to our ocean, wildlife and human health.
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Additionally, Surfrider aligns with our partners in the Break Free From Plastic movement on the following:
- That we don't lose sight of the urgency to act now and act decisively! To eliminate plastic pollution, we must reduce production by including provisions on freeze and phase-downs of plastic production! We must not allow polluters and fossil fuel interests to delay, derail and distract us from the mandate of the (INC). The continued fixation on voluntary measures, recycling, along with the promotion of false solutions such as plastic offsetting, WTE, and chemical recycling, only serve to delay and distract us from the need to address the root causes of this crisis. Rather, we must focus on securing a dedicated financial mechanism that will provide the necessary resources to deliver a strong and ambitious legally binding treaty (that will truly end plastic pollution).
- Ensure diverse civil society participation to realize the mandate for “the widest and most effective participation possible” that calls on and listens to the expertise and the wisdom of Indigenous Peoples, Waste Pickers, Women, Youth, impacted communities, workers/trade unions, scientists and other rights-holders. We are encouraged to hear some delegations support a just transition to safer and more sustainable livelihoods for workers and communities across the plastics supply chain. In the same vein, we call on you, to protect the integrity of the process and the scientific basis for your decisions, which must be free from commercial and vested interests.
- Prioritize reuse; Here, finally, lies the opportunity to faithfully adhere and realize the vision behind the waste management hierarchy. Reduction and Reuse must come first, and we hope by setting prioritized, mandated, and ambitious targets on the same, this process will lay the foundation for the transformation that is required to move our societies towards real circular and regenerative solutions. We have the opportunity to embed solutions that allow us to reverse environmental ruin and regenerate the planet’s life support systems.
Want to know more? Find resources from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) here.