Mon Nov 25 14:57:45 UTC 2024: ## Global Push for Plastic Pollution Treaty Gains Momentum at COP29
**Busan, South Korea –** The fight against plastic pollution took a significant step forward this week as representatives from 175 countries convened in Busan, South Korea, for the fifth and final round of negotiations toward a UN-backed treaty to curb plastic production and waste. Following previous rounds in Uruguay, France, Kenya, and Canada, the Intergovernmental Negotiations Committee (INC) aims to finalize an agreement by December 1st.
If successful, the treaty, similar to the Paris Agreement on climate change, will establish a legally binding framework for phasing out plastic pollution. While global consensus exists on the problem, and many countries have implemented measures like bans on single-use plastics (India, for example, banned them in 2022), resistance remains from some petro-states and nations with large plastics industries.
Negotiations are centered around a “non-paper” proposing a synthesis of common ground reached in previous talks. India, while accepting the non-paper as a basis for discussion, expressed opposition to certain references regarding primary plastic polymers. Four key themes are under consideration: reducing plastic production and improving product design, improving waste management, securing funding and technology transfer, and establishing mechanisms for implementation and monitoring. A legal drafting group will begin work on the treaty’s initial and final provisions after the main themes are resolved.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen stressed the urgency of the situation, highlighting that unlike the Paris Agreement which took 21 years to achieve significant progress, the world cannot afford a similar delay in tackling plastic pollution. The treaty is expected to be adopted next year by Ministers from signatory countries, leading to annual meetings akin to the COP climate conferences.
First Piper 