Ministers from 67 countries including the UK, Japan, and Canada have reaffirmed commitments to end plastic pollution by 2040, before final treaty negotiations take place, in a statement published on Wednesday.
The High Ambition Coalition (HAC) to End Plastic Pollution issued a joint statement in advance of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5), scheduled for Nov. 2024 in Busan, South Korea.
“We commit to forging an agreement with common, legally-binding measures and encourage all INC members to find agreement on goals as well as on measurable and time-bound targets to ensure we are on a clear path to ending plastic pollution,” the statement said.
“We reaffirm our common ambition of ending plastic pollution by 2040.”
The coalition underscored the necessity of a comprehensive approach to addressing plastic pollution, targeting the full lifecycle of plastics from production to disposal.
Global rules would level the playing field for businesses while supporting a transition to a circular economy, creating jobs, fostering innovation, and promoting sustainable development, it said.
HAC recognised the need for timely, accessible, and adequate financing to be made available to developing nations.
Civil society, businesses, and local communities should mobilise further action while holding leaders accountable, it said.
“We call on all INC members to seize this historic opportunity to conclude an ambitious and effective treaty that demonstrates our collective resolve to end plastic pollution.”
SOUTH KOREA MEETING
The INC-5 meeting marks the final round of negotiations for a global treaty to address plastic pollution.
Building on previous sessions, including INC-4 in Canada in April, countries aim to finalise legally binding measures to reduce plastic waste across its entire lifecycle, including production cuts and increased recycling efforts.
The talks are driven by growing concerns over the impact of plastic pollution on biodiversity, marine ecosystems, and human health.
Divisions remain between countries and industries such as oil on how far-reaching these measures should be. The outcomes of INC-5 are expected to set the stage for how the world tackles the escalating plastic crisis.
Environmental market standards have pushed to establish an international framework for plastic credits under the treaty, but they remain contentious.
The signatories to the HAC statement also included Australia, Chile, Colombia, the EU, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, and South Korea.
By Thomas Cox – t.cox@carbon-pulse.com
*** Click here to sign up to our twice-weekly biodiversity newsletter ***
