Reduce plastics production to 76% by 2030, civil society groups pressure treaty negotiators

Civil society organizations, indigenous peoples, and independent scientists are rallying for a robust, legally binding Global Plastics Treaty, which will be discussed in South Korea later this year.

They have been calling on governments to ensure that the treaty includes legally binding measures that cover the whole life cycle of plastics, including rules and targets on the production and supply of primary plastic polymers to drastically cut plastic production with aims to phase out plastic production. 

“Over 400 million tons of plastics are produced every year, suffocating our planet and every living thing on it. Now is not the time to sacrifice ambition and submit to the lowest common denominator: a minority of countries blocking progress for their own short-term gain,” said Ana Rocha, Global Plastics Policy Director of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) in a news release.

“Indigenous peoples, waste pickers, and Global South governments on the frontlines of the plastics crisis have long been at the forefront of the solutions, yet their critical voices have been sidelined. The world needs ambition to be aligned with strong means of implementation including a financial mechanism that will provide the necessary financing for action. The intergovernmental negotiating committee must listen to the millions of people around the world demanding a strong treaty to end plastic pollution,” Rocha added.

The groups also call for the elimination of chemicals that are hazardous to human health and the environment throughout the lifecycle of plastics, as plastics expose people to more than 16,000 chemicals and 4,200 of them are classified as hazardous to people and the environment.

“A treaty that does not prioritize production reduction of primary plastic polymers (PPP) and eliminate chemicals of concern will only serve to perpetuate plastic pollution and the poisoning of Indigenous and environmental justice communities around the world who have been sacrificed by industry and enabling governments for generations,” said Frankie Orona, Executive Director of Society of Native Nations. 

“We welcome the common goal of the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) to end plastic pollution by 2040, while reaffirming that no amount of production of PPP is sustainable. The HAC should explicitly support, at minimum, a reduction target of 75% by 2030 if not sooner,” Orona added.

Additional demands include the support for reuse systems, a strong, dedicated financial mechanism to facilitate the flow of financial resources from the developed to the developing world, and measures for a just transition to safer and more sustainable livelihoods for workers across the plastic supply chain.

“As we reduce plastic production, it is essential we ensure a just transition to reuse and refill systems, which present numerous benefits for people and the environment,” said Marian Ledesma, Zero Waste Campaigner at Greenpeace Southeast Asia-Philippines. 

“In addition to reducing plastic waste, reuse and refill solutions can decrease greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and material resource usage. These systems also bring socioeconomic gains for communities through reduced costs and risks arising from plastic pollution. As integral solutions in ending plastic pollution, we need ambitious reuse and refill targets to be reflected in the treaty alongside reduction targets for plastic production and use,” Ledesma added.

“As we come towards the final round of negotiations, we must not sacrifice ambition for speed. Ambition means both legally binding control measures and finance to help solve the problem,” said Jacob Kean-Hammerson, Ocean Campaigner with the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).

“Ending plastics pollution is a generational effort we must undertake as a global community. Global North countries should join calls in the Global South for a new dedicated fund and ensure adequate funding to ensure we have a treaty that truly works,” added Kean-Hammerson.

Since the beginning of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process, civil society organizations, as well as many governments, have been calling for an open and transparent process that facilitates the widest possible public participation.

Instead, observers have been met with limitations that have ranged from caps on attendance, restricted access to negotiations and relevant meetings, and curtailed opportunities to make formal statements.

With possibly one last round of negotiations remaining, civil society groups renew their calls for greater transparency and participation in the process to ensure that the demands for a strong and effective plastics treaty are heard. 

“By not including pathways for robust observer participation, meeting organizers are contradicting established international norms and are ignoring and disrespecting the experience, knowledge, expertise, and distinct perspectives of indigenous peoples and other frontline and fence-line communities disproportionately impacted by plastic pollution across its life cycle,” said Merrisa Naidoo of GAIA Africa.

Having a global plastics treaty is a rare opportunity to systematically end plastic pollution through a legally binding international agreement that covers the complexities of the plastic pollution crisis beyond waste management. As UN member-states are expected to wrap up negotiations by December 1, 2024, in Busan, South Korea, civil society groups will continue to urge governments to deliver a strong treaty that would be effective in truly ending plastic pollution, not a watered-down agreement that fails to holistically address the plastic pollution crisis, for the sake of meeting deadlines.