News

A treaty to end the age of plastic | Climate Crisis

In March, there was a collective cheer when United Nations member states passed a historic resolution to end plastic pollution during the United Nations Environment Council in Nairobi. Governments have agreed to begin work on a global, legally binding agreement that addresses the entire lifecycle of plastics, and the agreement will come into force in 2024. The decision is called full. ambitious, revolutionary and historic.

The resolution established an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to assemble the text of the agreement. Its first meeting will begin on November 28 in Uruguay.

Thinking about the upcoming negotiations for the plastic treaty makes me waver between high hopes and anxiety. I can see how the plastic treaty could finally end the era of throwaway plastic. The world has the opportunity to build an ambitious global plastic treaty – a solution that might be appropriate for the scale of this global crisis.

On the other hand, I’ve seen how the most promising policies can go awry when the interests of big businesses are at stake. Corporations pour millions of dollars into blocking, delaying, and undermining global legislation and agreement efforts. At the same time, major brands, such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Unilever and Nestlé, pledge to cut down on plastic use but repeatedly fail to deliver on their public commitments.

Around the world, plastic regulations have been enacted, but much work remains to be done. Frontline communities are still grappling with plastic pollution in all its forms. The Southern Hemisphere bears the greatest social and environmental costs in package production, waste trading and waste incineration.

In the Philippines – one of the largest recipients of plastic waste from around the world – our communities disproportionately bear the burden of environmental degradation caused by plastic pollution. We are at risk as plastic production remains unregulated and major oil-allied companies continue to burden us with disposable packaging that harms our health and our climate. We just let them maximize their profits.

This is why it is essential that the Global Plastics Compact immediately limit and reduce the total production and use of plastics. Cutting down on the amount of plastic that companies produce and use is in line with the goal of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, as 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels. Ending business addiction to single-use plastics is an important step towards tackling climate change and protecting communities.

The global plastic treaty that we need to stop over-production of plastic, keep oil and gas in the ground, and disseminate refill and reuse systems.

We must ensure not only equity but a fair transition for the most vulnerable groups and stakeholders, such as fenced-in communities in the “sacrifice zone.” near plastic production facilities, fishermen and workers in the plastic supply chain.

For this pact to bring about meaningful change, the voices of affected communities, trash pickers and residents displaced by plastic pollution must be heard. Their experience and knowledge are valuable to ensure that we leave no one behind. More importantly, their authentic and empowered participation in this process is essential for environmental and climate justice.

Achieving all of this will be a challenge, but addressing the plastic pollution crisis is indeed possible and the key to tackling climate change. The reuse revolution is thriving with scalable solutions from around the world – from reusable cups at convenience stores and refill systems at community stores , to the return of returnable glass bottles in the beverage sector.

Policies such as bans on plastics and measures to increase producer responsibility focused on upstream are paving the way for systemic change at the local and national levels. This is what I call the bag of hope and change.

In treaty negotiations, we must speak louder than the big brands, the big oil, and the politicians who spoil them. We must ensure that the treaty puts the interests of our people, environmental justice and climate at its core. The Global Compact on Plastics has the potential to be one of the most important environmental agreements in history – and we need to make sure it doesn’t break its promise.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of Al Jazeera.



Source by [author_name]

news7h

News7h: Update the world's latest breaking news online of the day, breaking news, politics, society today, international mainstream news .Updated news 24/7: Entertainment, Sports...at the World everyday world. Hot news, images, video clips that are updated quickly and reliably

Related Articles

Back to top button
Immediate Peak