Global Plastic Treaty Talks Collapsed

General Studies Paper -3

Context: The fifth meeting of the UN’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) has ended without delivering a legally binding treaty to address global plastic pollution.

About

• More than 170 countries in the Republic of Korea were negotiating the global treaty to end plastic pollution, including marine pollution.
• Aim: The treaty aims to have countries cut the production of plastic and plastic polymers.

Background

• In 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) adopted a resolution to tackle plastic pollution on a global scale.
• 175 nations voted to adopt a global treaty for plastic pollution—agreeing on an accelerated timeline so that the treaty could be implemented as soon as 2025.
• This led to the creation of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) tasked with developing a legally binding international agreement on plastic pollution by 2024.
• Since 2022, the INC has held four sessions in Uruguay, France, Canada, and Kenya.

Why have the Talks Failed?

• The discussions saw a sharp divide between two camps – a large coalition of about 100 countries that wanted caps on plastic production, and a smaller set of oil-producing nations that wanted to focus only on plastic waste management.
• With the two camps unable to reach a compromise, the conference concluded with an agreement to meet again at a later date.

India’s Stand

• Support to Developing Nations: Any legally binding treaty must recognise the need for support to developing countries through finance and technology transfer.
• Focus on Reducing Plastic Pollution: Production of primary polymers was not directly linked to plastic pollution and there should be no targets concerning polymer or plastic production. Instead, it asked to focus on reducing plastic pollution.
• No Plastic Pollution Fee: It did not support a levy of a plastic pollution fee on the production of primary polymers.
• Balanced Treaty: India added that a balance has to be struck between preventing plastic pollution and protecting the sustainable development of developing countries.
• Assessment of Finances: There must also be an assessment of the financial resources needed for waste management as well as the availability of adequate, timely, and predictable financial resources.
• Avoid Overlapping: The scope of the treaty should be well-defined to not overlap with existing multilateral environmental agreements.