Global efforts to curb plastic pollution have made positive progress
Recently, in the southern French city of Nice, ministerial officials from more than 40 countries around the world held a closed-door meeting this week to promote the formulation of a legally binding global plastic pollution treaty. This treaty will comprehensively regulate the entire life cycle of plastics for the first time - from production, consumption to waste management - in order to address this growing environmental crisis.
The meeting was chaired by Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, and was held at the same time as the United Nations Ocean Conference, injecting new political impetus into the process of accelerating the treaty negotiations. The parties reiterated their commitment to complete the negotiations on the treaty text at the meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to be held in August this year.
Mathur Philippe, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, said: "The parties have recommitted to completing the treaty in August. This issue is too urgent to be left to the future."
Plastic pollution threatens ecology and economy
According to the United Nations, if effective intervention measures are not taken, the amount of plastic waste entering the ocean each year may reach 37 million tons by 2040. Plastic pollution has penetrated almost all ecosystems, and microplastics are becoming increasingly common in soil, water, and even human bodies.
"We are choking on plastic. If we don't act now, we will no longer have intact ecosystems, either on land or in the ocean," warned Mathur-Philip.
She pointed out that the economic losses caused by plastic pollution cannot be ignored. According to a UN report, plastic-related damage may cause about $2.81 trillion in economic losses worldwide between 2016 and 2040, affecting tourism, fisheries, coastal infrastructure and ecosystems.
She stressed: "This has a heavy burden on the global economy, from tourism, beach cleaning, to reduced catches for fishermen, and damage to coastal and wetland ecosystems. The impact is far-reaching."
She pointed out that although plastic pollution is a global problem, small island developing States often bear a disproportionate impact. It is unfair that they are victims of plastic pollution but have to clean up a lot of garbage that they did not produce themselves.
It is estimated that 18% to 20% of the plastic waste generated globally each year ends up in the ocean.
Key negotiations are imminent, and the prototype of the treaty has emerged.
Since the United Nations Environment Assembly adopted a resolution in 2022 to launch negotiations, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee has held five rounds of meetings. At the meeting in Busan last year, representatives of various countries reached a preliminary consensus on the draft treaty and formed a "Chair's text" containing about 32 to 33 articles.
Mathur-Philip said: "We have begun negotiations based on specific article numbers, which indicates that the treaty text is moving towards maturity." She added: "The current draft structure has taken shape, including objectives and preambles, as well as approval mechanisms, governance structures and proposed executive bodies. It looks like a real treaty."
