BUSAN, South Korea – As time ran out for negotiators to clinch a strong plastics treaty in Busan, the Chair and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced that they will be holding an INC 5.2, to give Member States more time to agree upon the final text.
However, there is little assurance that the next INC will succeed where INC-5 did not. The Chair’s draft text keeps production reduction on the table but is also littered with concessions to petrochemical states instead of honoring the will of the vast majority of the Member States and civil society calling for an ambitious treaty. Without decisive action, there is a strong probability that the same petro-state minority will continue their obstructionist tactics and further imperil the plastics treaty process.
Ana Rocha, global plastics policy director of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), states, “We welcome Member States’ willingness to fight for a better deal instead of rushing into a weak treaty for the sake of an arbitrary deadline. But we cannot keep doing things the same way and expect different results– that is the definition of insanity. The ambitious majority needs to do whatever it takes to get these negotiations back on track and reclaim the spirit of multilateralism. Now is not the time for timidity. It is time to fight for our collective survival.”
There are many paths forward, both within and outside of UNEP. The majority could call for a vote, or move to take this process out of UNEP’s inept stewardship entirely.
Cecilia Bianco of Taller Ecologista, Argentina states, “Every minute that passes, our rivers, our air, and our bodies become more contaminated. A large group of countries are in agreement on what must be done, but it is not enough. We hope that next year will bring the ambitious treaty the crisis demands.”
In a heartening display of unity for an ambitious treaty, Rwanda presented a statement in the closing plenary on behalf of over 85 countries across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands, and Europe, emphasizing their shared commitment to a legally binding treaty enshrining reduction targets, phase-out of harmful chemicals, a just transition, and an equitable financial mechanism in the treaty.
This show of collective power was a welcome change after four INCs of lukewarm opposition to the tyranny of the minority, and the fruiting of civil society’s years-long effort to turn the tide of plastic pollution. Over 100 countries expressed support for Panama’s proposal to adopt a global target to reduce plastic production.
Civil society and rightsholders have also been sounding the alarm about the lack of transparency, inequity, and exclusion of civil society and rights holders throughout the talks. At INC-5, civil society, including Indigenous Peoples, waste pickers, front and fenceline communities, scientists, women, and youth leaders were kept out of the process, with limited access to contact groups and a total lock-out for the last two days of negotiations, which were held behind closed doors. To add insult to injury, record numbers of fossil fuel and chemical lobbyists dwarfed every country delegation.
Magdalena Donoso, regional coordinator of GAIA Latin America and the Caribbean, states: “A bad process does not lead to a good outcome. Time and time again UNEP’s actions have shown their intentions: to silence the voices of civil society, while bending over backwards to try to please the few countries who have no real interest in ending plastic pollution.”
Rahyang Nusantara, deputy director, Dietplastik Indonesia & Convenor of Asia Reuse Consortium, states: “The current text missed the opportunity to advance real solutions. The prospective agreement must have a dedicated article with ambitious reuse targets financed by a new and dedicated financial mechanism to enable the establishment, operations and scaling up of non-plastic reuse and repair systems. This is key for a safe and toxic-free just transition away from plastics to truly end plastic pollution.”
Eskedar Awgichew of Ecojustice Ethiopia states, “For Africa, this treaty is crucial to address the unique challenges we face, including the impact on waste pickers, frontline communities, and our environment. The journey continues, but the urgency for a comprehensive solution remains.”
