Kategorie: News
A desperate search for an urgently needed solution
After more than three years and several rounds of talks in Geneva, international negotiations to create a global, legally binding UN plastic agreement have once again failed. Despite considerable commitment on the part of the disputing parties, no agreement could be reached as the positions of the countries remained largely unchanged. The most important concerns – from protecting the oceans to binding measures against the production and use of plastic – remain unaddressed.
On one side are more than 100 countries, including the EU and many developing countries, which are calling for a 50% reduction in plastic production, a ban on single-use plastics, and sustainable design. They are demanding binding regulations to curb the flood of plastic and protect the environment, especially the oceans. On the other side are oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Iran, which are focusing on improving waste management and only support weak, voluntary measures. They benefit economically from oil as a raw material and are trying to prevent binding limits on production.
Marginal and non-binding draft texts
The negotiators repeatedly failed to overcome this political divide. Despite a mandate adopted in March 2022 that was supposed to cover the entire life cycle of plastics, only marginal and non-binding draft texts were presented. The current draft, some of which was presented overnight, mainly contains voluntary measures that are hardly enforceable. Critics - including environmental organizations such as Greenpeace and OceanCare - warn that a weak agreement could exacerbate the crisis by perpetuating the status quo and watering down or dismissing necessary protective measures, such as those against the dangers posed by ghost nets.
The environmental and health risks of plastic abuse are more serious than ever
Microplastics and nanoplastics are found in animals, humans, and ecosystems, affecting health and the immune system. Plastic production has doubled since the 1970s to around 430 million tons per year, and the trend is still rising. To date, 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced, of which over 6 billion tons have become waste, most of which ends up in landfills, rivers, and oceans. In the world's oceans alone, around 152 million tons of waste have accumulated.
The failure of the negotiations in Geneva highlights the difficulties of achieving global consensus. The negotiations and the planned measures were criticized by many as inadequate. Germany's State Secretary for the Environment, Jochen Flasbarth, said that more time and better organization were needed to make progress in future rounds. Nevertheless, it remains unclear when and how the next round of negotiations will take place, as well as how the most important project will be financed amid declining UN budget resources.
In short, despite broad agreement that an effective plastics agreement is a matter of utmost urgency, the political interests of individual states continue to block progress. Environmental organizations warn that only a strong, binding agreement can effectively solve the plastic crisis, but so far the political will to do so is lacking. The world faces a difficult decision: either a joint solution to save the oceans and the environment, or further procrastination that will continue to exacerbate pollution and the associated risks.
Further information on the topic of the world's oceans and plastic:
Nanoplastics in the North Atlantic: The invisible danger to oceans and humans
Plastic waste poses a major threat to young sea turtles
Our oceans are drowning in plastic waste
The Mediterranean: a hotspot for plastic pollution
Researchers measure record concentrations of microplastics in Arctic sea ice