Global leaders are in Canada's capital for the fourth round of negotiations towards what would become the first global treaty on soaring plastic pollution. The hoped-for treaty, due to be agreed to by the end of the year, could be the most significant deal relating to climate-warming emissions and environmental protection since the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Ottawa

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Global leaders are convening in the Canadian capital to advance discussions on a landmark international agreement aimed at tackling the escalating issue of plastic pollution worldwide. The proposed treaty, set to be finalized by the end of the year, seeks to become the first of its kind, targeting the reduction of plastics from their production through to their disposal and recycling. This initiative marks a major step toward managing climate-warming emissions and bolstering efforts in environmental conservation, potentially paralleling the significance of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

Negotiations in Ottawa represent the fourth in a series of five planned meetings, originating from a consensus reached at the UN Environmental Assembly in 2022 to create a legally binding framework to curb the plastic pollution crisis. With plastic waste increasingly contaminating landscapes and waterways and the industry's carbon emissions projected to quadruple by 2050, the urgency of these talks is underscored by both environmental and economic concerns. Current trends suggest that without intervention, plastic production, primarily from petroleum sources, could triple by 2060.

The discussions have highlighted diverging viewpoints among participating countries. The Group of Like-Minded Countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, and China, have raised objections to the imposition of production limits. In contrast, the High Ambition Coalition—consisting of various EU nations, island countries, Japan, and the UAE—aims to eradicate plastic pollution by 2040 through legally binding measures to reduce production to sustainable levels and the elimination of particularly problematic single-use plastics. The United States shares the goal of ending plastic pollution by 2040 but advocates for individual countries to devise their own strategies to achieve this objective.

The dialogue is further complicated by industry perspectives, with significant petrochemical producers, represented by the Global Partners for Plastics Circularity, opposing production caps due to concerns over rising consumer prices. This stance is countered by the Business Coalition for a Plastics Treaty, supported by over 200 consumer-oriented corporations such as PepsiCo and Walmart, which espouses the inclusion of production limits within the treaty's scope. The preceding rounds of negotiations, particularly noted during the talks in Nairobi, have seen disagreements that expanded the draft treaty significantly, thereby placing heightened importance on achieving consensus in the upcoming final round of negotiations in Busan, South Korea.



Global leaders gather to draft treaty on plastic pollution

Global leaders are in Canada's capital for talks on drafting a first-ever treaty to rein in soaring plastic pollution. It's meant to address plastics through their entire life cycle, from when they are produced to how they are used and disposed of. Here's what you need to know. The world's nations agreed to develop a legally binding agreement to address the plastic pollution crisis at the UN Environmental Assembly in 2022. The talks in Ottawa are the fourth of five rounds of negotiations, with the final round set for December. If agreed to, it could be the most significant environmental deal since the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Plastic waste has become a global menace, polluting landscapes and waterways. And the plastic industry now accounts for 5% of global carbon emissions, which could grow to 20% by 2050 if current trends continue. That's according to a report from the U.S. federal Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Most virgin plastic is derived from petroleum, and unless limits are set, plastic production is on track to triple by 2060. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran and China, known collectively as the Group of Like-Minded Countries, have opposed mentioning production limits. Meanwhile, the 60-nation High Ambition Coalition, which includes EU countries, island nations, Japan and the UAE, wants to end plastic pollution by 2040. The coalition has called for common, legally binding provisions to restrain and reduce production and consumption to sustainable levels. They're also proposing measures such as phasing out problematic single-use plastics. The U.S. says it also wants to end plastic pollution by 2040, but wants countries to set their own plans for doing so. Trade group Global Partners for Plastics Circularity represents major petrochemical producers. They argue production caps would lead to higher prices for consumers, and say the treaty should address plastics only after they are made. The Business Coalition for a Plastics Treaty represents more than 200 consumer-facing companies, including PepsiCo and Walmart. Unlike the petrochemical industry, they support a treaty that includes production caps, according to a statement ahead of the Ottawa talks. During the three previous rounds of talks, countries became divided. At talks in Nairobi in November, the draft treaty ballooned from 30 pages to 70, as some countries insisted on including their objections to more ambitious measures. Countries are now under pressure to find common ground before the final negotiations in Busan, South Korea, in December.

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Baja California

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Wenchang

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London

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Ankara

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Paris

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Arizona

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Washington

Biden breaks silence on protests at University Campuses

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New York

More than 1,000 student protesters arrested across U.S.

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Zaporizhzhia

Ukraine Invasion

U.S. accuses Russia of using chemical weapons in Ukraine

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Council of the City of Sydney

Grave fears for brothers missing on Mexico surf trip

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Bogotá

Israel-Gaza War

Colombia ends diplomatic relations with Israel

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Jerusalem

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Tbilisi

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The Hague

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Hainault

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Canberra

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Buenos Aires

Argentina's Milei slashes 24,000 government jobs

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Odesa

Russian missile attack kills five in Ukraine's Odesa

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Edinburgh

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Lake Macquarie

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Kharkiv

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