Pacific Islands have called for a global target to reduce plastic polymers by 40 per cent by 2040 compared to 2025 levels. Now at the Plastic Treaty talks in Busan Korea, the business-as-usual scenario for plastics production has prompted the call for urgent action.
According to a report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), it is projected the plastic production will grow from 435 million tonnes in 2020 to 736 million tonnes in 2040. Leakage of plastic waste will grow from 20 million tonnes in 2020 to 30 million tonnes in 2040.
This also leads to growth in greenhouse gas emissions from 1.8 to 2.8 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide.
“Our Pacific Small Islands have been united and consistent in lobbying for a plastics treaty that is effective and ambitious, given our vulnerability to the triple planetary crisis and disproportionate impacts,” said Mr Halatoa Fua, Director of the Cook Islands National Environment Service.
The Cook Islands is now negotiating at the Fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on a Legally Binding Agreement on Plastic Pollution including in the Marine Environment.
“The current projections of plastic production are an unsustainable trajectory that will exacerbate the plastic pollution crisis; hence this proposed global target which is a sound approach to meet our obligation to end plastic pollution. Here at these negotiations, we wish to raise the bar in setting an effective obligation that will benefit all of humanity in the long term.”
The Pacific Small Islands Developing States have submitted a proposal on Sustainable Production officially cementing their target before approximately 4,000 negotiators representing over 190 governments.
A Resolution adopted by the United Nations Environment Assembly on 2 March 2022 instructed five INC’s to take place to develop an international legally binding instrument on Plastic Pollution including in the marine environment.
This is the fifth INC with the goal to have text for a Legally Binding Agreement which will then go through the process required before it is open for ratification and then the first Conference of the Parties.
As such Pacific Islands are calling for each Party to take measures across the lifecycle of plastics to implement the proposed global target for the sustainable production of primary plastic polymers through annual reporting of the statistical and other relevant data on its progress and implementation.
The Pacific Island grouping also calls for the Conference of the Parties to assess progress towards achieving the proposed global target every five years, updating the global target as necessary.
“All states are responsible to help bring about an ambitious plastics treaty that will protect both humankind and our environment. We need to reduce the production of plastic polymers, and this cannot be done alone,” said Mr Fua.
“As a member of our global community, the Cook Islands will play a pivotal role in implementing national legislation to phase out avoidable and problematic plastic products, enhancement of waste management systems, and clean up and reduce leakage of plastic products to the environment. We understand that we too, despite our lack of plastic production, have a moral responsibility to protect all of humanity.”
The Pacific Small Islands Developing States Proposal now submitted at the INC5 negotiations under Article 6 also calls for the first session of the Conference of the Parties to adopt the format and methodologies for establishing baselines and submitting annual reports on the production of primary plastic polymers, including types, quantities and use of polymers produced, imported, exported and recycled.
It also proposed that Parties shall cooperate to ensure that developing country Parties have adequate means of implementation to meet their commitments under Article 6, and across the lifecycle of plastics to achieve the proposed global target of plastic production reduction by 40 per cent by 2040 compared to 2025 levels.
“For our Pacific Islands, the reduction in plastic production and leakage to the environment, will reduce transboundary waste of plastics that end up in the Pacific Ocean and shorelines. As Big Ocean Island States, this is a significant concern for us all. We must see this target in our final text.”
The fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment is taking place in Busan, Republic of Korea, from 25 November to 1 December 2024.
The Pacific Islands are represented by the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu through the support of the Government of Australia and the United Nations.
They are supported by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, working with partners the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner, The Pacific Community, Forum Fisheries Agency, Environmental Investigation Agency, Centre for International Environmental Law, University of Wollongong, WWF and Massey University.
For more information, visit: https://www.unep.org/inc-plastic-pollution/session-5