Reducing plastics: the failed global agreement and its implications

In 2022, 175 countries gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, with a promise to adopt an agreement aimed at reducing plastic use. Two years later, the commitment made has not materialised. In fact, at the last session of negotiations held in Busan, South Korea between 24 November and 1 December, it emerged how difficult it still is to assert environmental urgency over widespread economic interests, raising concerns among scientists, environmentalists and citizens.


In recent decades, the production and consumption of plastic objects has seen exponential growth and produced pollution phenomena on land and in the sea. The territories most affected by these phenomena are mainly in Asia and Africa, where the lack of awareness and education on the subject, together with the inefficiency, or even non-existence, of collection systems contribute to generating a crisis situation. In fact, it is estimated that more than 8 million tonnes of plastic waste end up in the oceans each year, posing a threat to marine ecosystems, while many more accumulate in landfills polluting soil and groundwater. (Source: WWF)

Despite the urgency, the versatility and low cost of this material mean that it remains among the most widely used in the world, making the implementation of strategies for its reduction more complex than ever. The countries most opposed to the conclusion of an agreement correspond to the major oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia and China, as they are primarily interested in preserving their economic development. Even the political scenario emerging in the US after the last elections does not seem to bode well, considering Trump's objective disinterest in environmental and planetary protection issues. (Read also: Il Post ). Another aspect that weighs on the positions of the international community is the lack of sustainable technologies. Although alternative materials exist, many are still not produced on a large scale or are too expensive to be adopted globally.

The consequences of the failure to reach an agreement jeopardise the realisation of the climate objectives set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement, such as the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, linked to the use of fossil fuels for the production of plastic, and the conservation of natural resources. Moreover, the absence of a unified and shared vision leads to a fragmentation of actions by the international actors involved, which, although positive models to be replicated, remain insufficient in providing a concrete response to the emergency.


However, the outcome of the fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) in Busan cannot and should not be a justification for governments to stand still and feel absolved of the responsibility to find a solution. On the contrary, it can be an opportunity to accelerate change at all levels, from everyday choices to major industrial investments. Because the time to act is not infinite, and the future of our planet depends on the decisions we make today.

 

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A sea of plastic: challenges and strategies to curb water pollution

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