The world’s nations will finish negotiating a treaty this weekend to address the global plastic pollution crisis. Led by Norway and Rwanda, 66 countries plus the European Union say they want to address the total amount of plastic on Earth by controlling its design, production, consumption and disposal.
A discarded plastic bag floats in the waters of Botafogo beach in Rio de Janeiro, Nov. 26, 2024. "Plastic pollution is not just an unsightly nonsense, but an urgent and insidious threat to ecosystems, economies and human health."450 million tonnes of plastic are made every year, and that's on track to double or triple by 2040.
"It's drowning in this stuff. I happen to be living in Nairobi, Kenya, and unfortunately, we are seeing an extensive use of single use plastic which often will end up in the environment, and with the hundreds of millions of tons that we produce, we have massive leakage into the open environment."In 2022, United Nations members unanimously agreed to tackle the growing challenge through a global plastics treaty."The world wants an end to plastic pollution.
Opposing it are a group of nations led by Iran and Saudi Arabia, known as the "like-minded" or low ambition group, backed by plastics and petrochemical lobbyists—reportedly the largest contingent at the talks. But environmental groups, including Kate Noble from the World Wide Fund for Nature Australia, say bold measures are needed, including:
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