UN resolution to reduce plastic pollution: How will the treaty help?
Recently, the UN reached a landmark resolution addressing the full lifecycle of plastic. This includes its production, design and disposal. The UN resolution urges that countries take immediate voluntary action with the aim of ending plastic pollution.
The resolution was adopted by 175 nations across the world at the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi. The intention was to forge an international “legally binding agreement” by 2024 to end plastic pollution.
The UNEA, a UN agency, said that plastic production and pollution account for a “triple planetary crisis”- that of climate change, pollution, and nature loss.
They further said that greenhouse gas emissions due to plastics would account for 15 percent of 1.5°C (34.7°F), which is the upper limit of the temperature rise according to the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Plastic pollution affects more than 800 marine and coastal species. This happens due to dangers like ingesting, entangling, among others. They stated that around 11 million tonnes of plastic waste flow into the ocean every year, and this is set to triple by 2040. The legally binding agreement would explore the various alternatives to plastic to address the lifecycle. It will also focus on designing reusable and recyclable products and materials. Lastly, it will deal with the need for enhanced international collaboration for access to technology. This will lead to the realisation of a revolutionary plan.
The resolution states that an international committee will be formed to draft the terms of the treaty by the end of 2024. Once the plan is approved in 2024, the plastic treaty will be as momentous as the Montreal Protocol and the Paris Climate Agreement. It will be one of the most important international laws drafted to deal with climate change.
Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Program, stated that this was the most significant multilateral environmental deal since the Paris accord. He further said that it served as an insurance policy for this generation and future ones, ensuring that they are not doomed by plastic.
This announcement follows the release of a report that concluded we now produce more plastic than the planet can handle. It also found that around 11 million metric tons of plastic enter the oceans every year. This threatens marine life and affects the ocean floor’s capacity for carbon sequestration. Moreover, plastic production accounts for at least five percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Sources:
https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/un-resolution-global-plastic-pollution/
https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_New_Plastics_Economy.pdf
