Page 66 - Plastics News September 2023

IN THE NEWS

'Zero Draft’ for Global Plastics Treaty Released
tic waste, while contributing to the
achievement of sustainable develop-
ment].
However, the environmental watch-
dog group Break Free From Plastic
cautioned, “Potentially problematic
and ambiguous provisions include text
on recycled plastic content, extended
producer responsibility, and waste
management. Without ambitious
standards, these areas could misplace
the emphasis on recycling and waste
management measures, undermining
the treaty's effectiveness.”

The next step in the United Nations– mittee’s first and second sessions. The As noted by Von Hernandez, the
led process toward a global plastics full range of views could be indicated group’s global coordinator: “The zero
treaty has emerged in the form of a in the draft text through options.” draft provides a good basis for the up-
“zero draft” version released Monday. In Part 1 of the zero draft, for instance, coming negotiations at INC-3. But as
It will be negotiated at the third Inter- two primary options are listed under always, the devil will be in the details,
governmental Negotiating Commit- the “Objective” heading: specifically with regard to plastic pro-
tee (INC-3) in Nairobi in November. duction reduction targets and the cri-
Option 1: The objective of this in- teria that will need to be agreed upon
Amid many placeholders and options strument is to end plastic pollution, to reduce and eliminate problematic
for different languages, the document including in the marine environment, polymers, plastic products, and chem-
offers avenues for reducing plastic and to protect human health and the icals of concern.
production, eliminating polymers and environment.
“chemicals of concern,” eliminating An affliction named plastics
short-lived and “avoidable” plastics, Option 2 (with four sub-options): The “The work of the negotiating parties
and creating targets and systems for objective of this instrument is to pro- is cut out for them. The choices that
plastics reduction and reuse. tect human health and the environ- member states make and the opera-
ment from plastic pollution, including
Primary objectives in the marine environment, [.] tive verbiage that they select will be
the mirror that gets held up to their
“At its second session, the intergov- Option 2 sub-options that may be ambitions. It is these decisions that
ernmental negotiating committee to considered pertinent for the end of will determine if we will be getting a
develop an international legally bind- the paragraph: strong effective treaty. We look for-
ing instrument on plastic pollution, ward to seeing how the zero draft will
including in the marine environment, 1.1 by ending plastic pollution. aid the negotiations because it is high
requested the Chair, with the sup- 1.2 based on a comprehensive ap- time that we ensure environmental
port of the secretariat, to prepare proach that addresses the full life cy- justice and protect our climate, bio-
a Zero Draft of the international le- cle of plastic. diversity, human health, and human
gally binding instrument called for by rights from the affliction caused by
UNEA resolution 5/14, for considera- 1.3 through the prevention, progres- plastics.”
tion at its third session,” according to sive reduction, and elimination of
the document released Sept. 4 by the plastic pollution throughout the life At INC-2, parties to the negotiation
United Nations Environment Pro- cycle of plastic by 2040. process offered distinctly varying per-
gramme. “The draft would be guided 1.4 through, inter alia, managing both spectives on how — and how much
by the views expressed at the com- the utilization of plastics and plas- — to regulate plastics usage and pro-
duction.

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