Page 15 - Plastic News November 2023

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Negotiations for a Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution Continue in Nairobi

In Nairobi Kenya, efforts to create a treaty to end global plastic pollution are advancing, as most of the world's nations,
petrochemical companies, environmentalists, and other stakeholders gather to discuss draft language for the first time.
The United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution is charged with developing the first
international, legally binding treaty on plastic pollution on land and at sea. The committee's goal is to develop a legally
binding agreement by 2024 to address the full life cycle of plastics, including their production, disposal, and design. The
treaty is expected to work in transformative regulations on waste management, reduce the use of single-use plastics,
and advocate for the circular economy principles of eliminating waste and keeping materials circulating in use.
The negotiations for a UN treaty to end plastic pollution continue with the third session of the Intergovernmental Ne-
gotiating Committee (INC) from November 13 to 19, 2023, at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Headquarters
in Nairobi, Kenya. The "zero draft" text of the treaty was prepared by the INC on Plastic Pollution and was published
in September 2023. The draft contains numerous options for treaty provisions that have the potential to support pro-
gress on reducing, circulating, and preventing plastic waste. However, it does not set robust targets for reduction, and it
includes text on recycling and waste management that could allow producers to avoid reduction, undermining the goal
of the treaty.
The plastic industry and oil and petrochemical exporters like Saudi Arabia want the treaty to focus on recycling and
reusing plastics, referred to as "circularity" in the plastics supply. In a submission ahead of this week's negotiations, Saudi
Arabia said the root cause of plastic pollution was "inefficient management of waste." However, the International Pollut-
ants Elimination Network (IPEN) wants a treaty that addresses the environmental and health issues posed by chemicals
in plastics as the products are used, recycled, and disposed of.
Nairobi is a significant location to host this third session, as the East African country is a global leader in fighting plastic
pollution. In a ground-breaking move in 2017, Kenya banned the manufacture, sale, and use of single-use plastic bags,
which were hugely popular for carrying things but were also strewn across the landscape. Lawbreakers face fines and
up to four years in jail. In Nairobi, Norway and Rwanda are leading a “high ambition coalition” of governments that aims
to reduce plastic pollution and promote a circular economy.
Recognizing that managing plastic pollution on a national level is an overwhelming task, advocates emphasize the ne-
cessity of a global approach. Drawing parallels to successful global initiatives addressing the ozone layer and acid rain,
proponents argue that a multilateral treaty and a high-ambition coalition are indispensable for realizing a world free of
plastic pollution.

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November 2023 PLASTICS NEWS