A world-first agreement that would not place a cap on polymer manufacturing is expected to be reached before the end of the year, following the conclusion of the fourth and penultimate round of UN-led negotiations to address global plastic pollution early on Tuesday in Ottawa.
Delegates from 175 nations and observers debated a draft of a worldwide treaty that would put an end to the plague of plastics, which can be found in everything from the depths of the ocean to the top of mountains, as well as in human blood and breast milk, for the first time during the discussions.
The present meeting continued the discussions that ended five months ago in Kenya.
Additionally, they decided to hold a number of discussions from now until November, when South Korea will host the last round of negotiations.
According to Canadian Parliamentary Secretary Julie Dabrusin, there was “a massive, monumental change in the tone and in the energy” during the Ottawa negotiations as opposed to the previous session.
“I’m really optimistic that we can get to an agreement by the end of the year… to end plastic pollution by 2040,” she said.
Dabrusin and others applauded the negotiations’ move from nebulous goals to treaty wording and the simplification of options put forth in Kenya.
A suggested cap on plastic manufacture, however, was left out of the draft text and is still a major source of contention.
There is widespread agreement that a treaty is necessary, but oil-producing countries and the plastics sector, which supports recycling, disagree with environmental campaigners calling for a reduction in plastic manufacturing.
