A crucial meeting to combat plastic pollution is set to take place this weekend in Bangkok, with the goal of signing an international treaty endorsed by several countries.
In Thailand, the content of the international treaty will be the subject of intense discussions for the first time. In previous meetings of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on plastic pollution, countries spent considerable time debating rules and procedures, including the decision-making voting system. This represents the final negotiation cycle, which began in 2022 and is expected to conclude in South Korea next November.
These negotiations are of utmost importance, as they ultimately concern the prospect of tripling plastic production. Failure to reach a meaningful agreement could leave this problem for future generations, which, like climate change, would be deeply unjust. The challenge is that an increase in production will inevitably lead to higher pollution levels. If we do not address the root of the problem, we will only flood the planet with plastics, to the detriment of future generations, explained Bjorn Beeler of the International Pollutant Elimination Network.
In 2022, most countries agreed to develop the first legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, including in the oceans. The goal was to complete the negotiations by the end of 2024.
Source: africanews
