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Nations stay divided as fifth U.N. plastics treaty talks start

As delegates from 175 nations collected in Busan, South Korea on Monday for the 5th round of talks aimed at securing a worldwide treaty to curb plastic contamination, remaining departments cast doubts on whether a. last arrangement remains in sight.

South Korea is hosting the 5th and seemingly last U.N. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting this. week, after the previous round of talks in Ottawa in April ended. without a path forward on capping plastic production.

Rather, talks will be concentrated on chemicals of issue and. other steps after petrochemical-producing countries such as. Saudi Arabia and China highly opposed efforts to target. plastic production over the demonstrations of nations that bear the. impact of plastic contamination.

The divisions plaguing plastics treaty talks echo conflicts. that have long stalled U.N. efforts to curb worldwide warming, with. the most current climate top, COP29, having actually simply ended with an. arrangement that poorer nations assailed as insufficient.

Without substantial intervention the amount of plastic. getting in the environment yearly by 2040 is expected to nearly. double compared to 2022, INC Chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso said. at the opening session in Busan on Monday.

It is about humanity rising to fulfill an existential. challenge, he said, keeping in mind that microplastics have been found. in human organs.

The United States raised eyebrows in August when it stated. it would back plastic production caps in the treaty, putting it. in positioning with the EU, Kenya, Peru and other countries in the. High Ambition Union.

The election of Donald Trump as president, however, has. raised concerns about that position, as during his first. presidency he avoided multilateral agreements and any. dedications to slow or stop U.S. oil and petrochemical. production.

The U.S. delegation did not address concerns on whether it. would reverse its new position to support plastic production. caps. However it supports ensuring that the international instrument. addresses plastic products, chemicals used in plastic products,. and the supply of primary plastic polymers, according to a. spokesperson for the WhiteHouse Council on Environmental uality.

Inger Andersen, executive director of the U.N. Environment. Program, said she was positive the talks will end with an. contract, pointing to the communique from the Group of 20. nations at a top recently requiring a lawfully binding. treaty by the end of this year.

IMPACT ON HEALTH

For a Pacific island country like Fiji, a worldwide plastics. treaty is vital to protect its fragile environment and public. health, stated Sivendra Michael, Fiji's environment minister and chief. climate and plastics negotiator.

He told Reuters on the sidelines of the 29th U.N. Environment. Change Conference this month that regardless of not producing any. plastic, Fiji is bearing the force of its downstream contamination.

Where do these plastics wind up? It winds up in our oceans,. in our landfill, in our backyards. And the effect of the. plastics breaking down into little substances has damaging. results, not only on the environment, but on us as individuals,. on our health, he stated, keeping in mind research studies that revealed most of the. fish consumed in the nation was contaminated with microplastics.

While supporting a worldwide treaty, the petrochemical. market has actually been singing in advising governments to prevent setting. compulsory plastic production caps, and focus on solutions on. minimizing plastic waste, like recycling.

We would see a treaty effective if it would truly put ... focus on ending plastic contamination. Nothing else ought to be the. focus. said Martin Jung, president for efficiency products at. chemical manufacturer BASF.

Previous talks have actually likewise discussed looking for types of. moneying to help developing countries carry out the treaty.

At COP29, France, Kenya and Barbados drifted establishing a. series of international levies on specific sectors that could assist ramp. up the amount of cash that might be made available to. establishing countries seeking support to help their clean energy. transition and cope with the progressively serious effects of. climate change.

The proposal included a cost of $60-$ 70/ton on main. polymer production, which is on average around 5-7% of the. polymer price, seen possibly raising an estimated $25-$ 35. billion annually.

Industry groups have actually rejected the concept, stating it will raise. customer costs.

(source: Reuters)