
Back to Busan: Global plastic pollution treaty talks end in disarray
The U.N.-hosted talks failed to overcome opposition to reducing plastic production among oil and gas producers.
The Center for International Environmental Law is a non-profit organization that uses the power of law to protect the environment and promote human rights. The organization works to hold corporations and governments accountable for environmental abuses, with a particular focus on issues like plastic pollution and climate change.
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The U.N.-hosted talks failed to overcome opposition to reducing plastic production among oil and gas producers.
Ecuadoran diplomat Luis Vayas Valdivieso, who chairs the proceedings, said 'progress made has not been sufficient.'
Corporate presence at the INC-5.2 negotiations in Geneva raises concerns about the integrity of the final treaty text.
The court's advisory opinion stems from a sustained campaign led by Vanuatu and supported by 130 U.N. member nations.
Some pointed to a recent landmark human rights ruling on climate change as a potential use for a Global Plastics Treaty.
The chair of the talks called for optimism despite divisions among plastic-producing nations and those urging restraints.
A handful of fossil fuel producers show no interest in a strong, restrictive and legally binding instrument for plastic pollution.
Oil and plastic producing nations and lobbyists sought more emphasis on recycling instead of production cuts.
About 69% of all the plastics produced, mainly through fossil fuel burning, are used just once or twice before they are thrown away. About 22% is mismanaged. Just 9% is recycled.
A legally-binding global mechanism for managing plastic waste sends a political signal to markets and consumers.