UN Plastic Talks Collapse as Countries Fail to Agree on Targets

The fifth UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting in Busan, South Korea, was expected to result in a legally binding global treaty to curb plastic pollution. However, the talks collapsed due to disagreements among countries over targets for reducing plastic production.

One Hundred Countries Called for Action

One hundred countries had gathered at the UN talks with the aim of reaching a consensus on reducing plastic waste. Fiji’s representative in the talks, Dr Sivendra Michael, revealed that only a small group of oil-producing nations were willing to target plastic waste.

Dr Michael told RNZ Morning Report that fossil fuel and petrol chemical lobbyists outnumbered delegates from Pacific small island developing states by more than double. This overwhelming presence was seen as an attempt to derail the negotiations.

The Failure of Multilateral Diplomacy

“We know that a small group of countries managed to derail the process by using what I would describe as the dark arts of multilateral diplomacy,” Dr Michael said. “They achieved this by manipulating the rules of procedure and narrowing the scope of treaty.”

Fiji’s Stance on a Robust Plastic Deal

Dr Michael explained that Fiji wants any future plastic deal to be more robust than previous international climate deals, which allowed nations to get away with not fulfilling their commitments. “We don’t want to make the same mistake when agreeing to this treaty in the Paris Agreement we left it to voluntary targets, in the plastics treaty we are most adamant that we cannot have the same mistakes.”

Conclusion

The collapse of the UN plastic talks highlights the challenges faced by global efforts to address environmental issues. With countries struggling to agree on targets and tactics, it remains to be seen whether a robust plastic deal will be achieved in the future.