Nations to Start Talks on Plastics Pact Seen as Next Paris Deal

(Bloomberg) -- Delegates from 175 countries agreed to kick off talks on a global treaty to end plastic pollution in what could lead to the most important green deal since the landmark Paris Agreement. 

The fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly will establish an intergovernmental committee to negotiate a legally binding agreement to tackle the proliferation of plastics and microplastics. The goal is to conclude talks before the end of 2024 -- a relatively quick turnaround given such discussions can take between five to 10 years to complete. 

“It is clear that the issue is urgent,” said Susan Gardner, head of the UN Environment Programme's ecosystems division. “It is essential that we don't slow down.”

The convention, attended by almost 5,000 people on the ground in Nairobi and virtually, centered on the need for standards to manage the entire life-cycle of plastic products, including recycling and disposal. However, some industry groups have been trying to steer the discussion away from measures that would limit the production of plastics, which are made from oil and gas, Reuters reported last month, citing officials involved in negotiations and company presentations. 

About 11 million tons of plastic waste ends up in water bodies each year and the UNEP projects the volume to nearly triple by 2040. The world spent an estimated $6 billion to $19 billion in 2018 trying to clean up the filth, according to the environmental agency.

Some countries, including Kenya where the UNEP's headquarters is, have taken taken steps to ban single-use plastics. The new agreement will build on those voluntary initiatives and require governments to commit to measures that limit plastic waste. 

“Plastic pollution has grown into an epidemic,” Norway's environment minister and UN Environment Assembly president, Espen Barth Eide, said. “With today's resolution we are officially on track for a cure.”

As the meeting was underway, the world's top scientists warned in a report released by the UN of a closing window to prepare for a hotter world as the speed of global warming exceeds the pace of efforts to protect billions of vulnerable people. Plastic waste not only poisons waters and soils, but also emits dangerous gases and contributes to rising temperatures when improperly disposed.

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