Page 25 - Plastics News March 2022

FEATURE

1.5C degree goal within reach, she said, ing ecosystems will help us keep closing make a difference, one that shows again
adding that everyone now knows that cli- the key greenhouse gas emissions gap by the value of multilateralism", stressing
mate impacts are "the greatest dividers: 2030 – "a gap that is unfortunately wid- that Africa has led the way. 34 out of 54
they hit vulnerable communities every- ening, not shrinking." countries have already put in place legisla-
where; and they disproportionately im- Ms. Mohammed noted that progress on a tion on single used plastics bags, she said,
pact the ability of developing countries to legally binding global agreement on plas- "and I encourage more countries to fol-
prosper and thrive." She said that protect- tic pollution provides "a chance to truly low suit.

Will The Global Treaty On Plastic Actually Provide Solutions on Ground

S G Singh
False solutions, green washing may put dampner on historic global plastic treaty and the real fight now is to develop a
treaty without the negative influence of the conglomerates says Siddharth Ghanshyam Singh

Provisions of Resolution
The treaty on plastic pollution, which
includes both microplastics and ma-
rine litter, will have both binding and
voluntary approaches. The resolution
indicated that the proposed INC has
to include provisions of promoting na-
tional and international co-operative
measures and national action plans to
work towards the prevention, reduction
and elimination of plastic pollution.
The treaty will also specify arrangements
for capacity building, technical assis-
tance, technology transfer and financial
The world took a step in the right direc- account production, design, recycling assistance.
tion to address the issue of plastic pollu- and management of plastic waste. This The participation in the ad-hoc open-
tion, with representatives of 175 nations will promote resource efficiency and cir- ended working group and the intergov-
agreeing to start writing a global treaty cularity around plastics. ernmental negotiating committee will be
on plastic pollution March 2, 2022. “We The resolution manages to achieve an- open to all member states of the United
are making history today,” said Espen other unprecedented feat by recognis- Nations and members of its specialised
Barth Eide, Norway’s climate and envi- ing the significant contribution made by agencies, regional economic integration
ronment minister and president of the workers under informal and cooperative organisations and relevant stakeholders.
United Nations Environment Assembly settings to collecting, sorting and recy- The resolution also indicated the possi-
(UNEA). cling plastics in many countries. bility of a global dedicated fund and in-
The member states of UNEA which were The resolution urged the United Nations vited governments and other stakehold-
holding talks in Nairobi earlier this week Environment Programme to convene ers to provide budgetary resources.
to discuss the terms of the treaty, agreed an Intergovernmental Negotiating Similarities with Montreal, Paris agree-
it should address the “full life cycle of Committee (INC), which will commence ments
plastics”. This means the final resolution, its work during the second half of 2022, The blueprint for the plastic pollution
which is heavily influenced by the Rwan- with the ambition of completing its work resolution is being compared to the
da-Peru joint draft resolution, takes into by end of 2024. Montreal protocol to prevent ozone layer

25 PLASTICS NEWS March 2022